Rechargeable containers and dispensers

ABSTRACT

Rechargeable containers and dispensers, in particular spray bottle dispensers including at least one chemical reservoir for recharging the spray bottle dispenser. Preferably, a plurality of separate chemical reservoirs containing chemical concentrate are provided within the spray bottle dispenser to fully contain any inadvertent spillage of chemicals, and to insure a high degree of safety against accidental spills, and/or accidental ingestion by children.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.08/897,838, filed Jul. 21, 1997, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,479.

This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of the following U.S.Patent Applications:

2) “Multiple Neck Spray Bottle, and Methods of Making and Using”, Ser.No. 08/808,575, filed on Feb. 28, 1997,

3) “Recharageable Dispensers”, Ser. No. 08/507,691, filed on Jul. 25,1995 now abandoned;

4) “Recharageable Dispensers”, Ser. No. 08/485,254, filed on Jun. 7,1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,624; and

5) “Rechargeable Dispensers”, Ser. No. 08/279,978, filed on Jul. 25,1994, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,216

These applications are all fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to rechargeable dispensers, in particular,rechargeable spray bottle dispensers, that can be recharged or refilled.Specifically, the present invention is particularly directed to spraybottle dispensers having one or more reservoirs containing chemicalassociated with the spray bottle dispensers so that the spray bottledispensers can be recharged by simply adding water or some othersuitable solvent, and accessing one or more of the chemical reservoirsto form a diluted chemical reagent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of spray bottles for dispensing chemical reagents (e.g., water,cleaners, soaps, insecticides, hair spray, etc.) are well known. Due toregulations limiting the amount of volatile organic carbons (VOC)released in the atmosphere, products originally contained and dispensedthrough aerosols are currently being replaced with spray bottles.

Bottlers of chemical reagents typically market their products bypurchasing separately empty plastic container bottles and spray heads.The bottlers then fill, assemble, and label the completed spray bottlepackages for delivery to retailers. Consumers purchase the filled spraybottles at the point-of-sale, and then use the chemical contents of thespray bottle. Most consumers dispose of the spray bottle upon the onetime use of the contents of the spray bottles. However, the spraybottles are still fully functional with respect to containing anddispensing chemical reagents, since the plastic bottles aresubstantially chemically resistant and the spray heads remain fullyfunctional after using the contents. Conventional point-of-sale typespray bottles can be recharged numerous times with chemical concentrateand water (i.e., at least 10 times, possibly 100 times while maintainingfull operation). Thus, consumers dispose of large quantities of reusableproduct (i.e, empty spray bottles) having high utility value.

In today's environment of numerous regulations to control pollution, andconsumer and industrial awareness for conserving resources and reducinglandfill waste, it is highly desirable to promote the reuse of productsthat maintain their utility, and dispose of only products that no longerhave any utility. Many bottlers are currently selling concentrate invarious sized containers to allow consumers to recharge point-of-saletype spray bottles with their particular concentrates. However, manyconsumers are unwilling to adopt such methods apparently due to someinconvenience in the steps involved with the recharging process of thespray bottles. In particular, there is some inconvenience in removingthe spray head, opening the chemical concentrate container, pouring thechemical concentrate into the empty spray bottle, adding water, andre-attaching the spray head to the bottle. Further, consumers apparentlylack interest in recharging spray bottles due to some reluctance basedon their inexperience and knowledge in mixing and diluting liquids,which is done by processing chemists for the bottlers. In addition,recharging is usually a messy undertaking due to spillage of chemicalconcentrate while pouring from one container to the other, overfilling,accidentally knocking over the bottle being filled due to itsinstability when unfilled, and other undesirable mishaps that can occur,that provide substantial inconveniences.

Importantly, sizeable containers (e.g., pint, qual, gallon, liter sizes)of chemical concentrate can be significantly hazardous to transport andhandle by consumers unaware of the potent chemical properties of thechemical concentrates. Specifically, chemical spills of concentrate candamage items around the home including flooring, carpeting, counter topin kitchens and bathrooms, shelves, and other items the chemicalconcentrate could potentially come into contact with. Further, chemicalconcentrate can impose a significantly greater health risk to personscoming into accidental contact therewith potentially causing tissueburns and other damages.

Most importantly, chemical concentrate imposes a great risk to childrenwho may accidentally ingest the chemical concentrate and becomepoisoned. Chemical concentrate greatly increases the chance of permanentinjury or death in this regard to children versus current dilutedchemical reagents contained in point-of-sale type spray bottles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser, in particular a spray bottle dispenser having one or morechemical concentrate reservoirs associated with the spray bottledispenser.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser, in particular a spray bottle dispenser having one or morechemical concentrate reservoirs disposed with the spray bottledispenser.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser, in particular a spray bottle having one or more chemicalconcentrate reservoirs disposed within the spray bottle dispenser, andaccessible by bursting.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser, in particular a spray bottle having one or more chemicalconcentrate reservoirs disposed within the spray bottle dispenser, andaccessible by puncturing.

These and other objects can be achieved by the rechargeable dispenser,in particular the spray bottle dispenser according to the presentinvention.

The main concept according to the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser, in particular a spray bottle dispenser packagehaving at least one supply of chemical to allow the spray bottledispenser to be recharged at least one time. The chemical can be in theform of a gas, liquid, semi-solid or solid. Specifically, the chemicalliquid can be a one phase mixture, a two phase mixture, a dispersion orany other chemical reagent having liquid characteristics. The chemicalsemi-solid can be in the form of a slurry, paste, solid dispersed in aliquid that still exhibits some liquid type characteristics, and thesolid can be in the form of a powder, granules, tablet or other solidmaterial form.

The chemical is preferably a concentrated chemical that is readilydiluted with a solvent, in particular plain water. Preferably, thechemical can be immediately diluted, however, a chemical substance thatcan go into solution over a 24 hour or longer period of time canpotentially be suitable for some applications.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention involve associatingat least one quantity of chemical with the spray bottle dispenser itselfSpecifically, the chemical is stored in some manner, and connecteddirectly internally or externally to the spray bottle dispenser.However, the present invention is broader in scope to include packagingthe chemical and spray bottle dispenser together (i.e., connectedindirectly) to be marketed at the point-of-sale. In this embodiment ofthe invention, a consumer would purchase the package containing a supplyof chemical and the spray bottle dispenser, separate at home the spraybottle dispenser that has been filled by the bottler from the packageand store the chemical portion of the package separate from the spraybottle dispenser in the household. The user would then retrieve thestored chemical upon consuming the initial contents of the spray bottledispenser for purposes of recharging the spray bottle dispenser.

The preferred embodiments of the invention store the at least onequantity of chemical directly or indirectly inside or outside the spraybottle dispenser. In the case of an indirect connection to the spraybottle dispenser, a mechanical fastener such as a plastic strip connectsan external chemical reservoir to the spray bottle dispenser. In thecase of a direct connection, the chemical reservoir is directlyconnected internally or externally to the spray bottle dispenser. Themost preferred embodiments store the at least one quantity of chemicalinside the spray bottle dispenser, particularly the bottle portion, tofully contain any inadvertent spills or leakage of chemical through thelife of the spray bottle dispenser. These most preferred embodimentsprovide substantial advantages for handling, recharging and protectinghousehold items from contact with chemical, and most importantly toprevent accidental ingestion by children. This particular point isespecially important due to the much greater potency of chemicalconcentrate versus diluted chemical reagents currently being sold bybottlers at point-of-sale.

The most preferred embodiments also utilize conventional spray bottledispenser components including plastic bottles, plastic spray heads, andplastic downtubes. In order to promote products incorporating thepresent invention, it is particularly important to utilize the standardcomponents that are readily available and relatively inexpensive due tothe large quantities sold and consumed. Thus, an add-on chemicalreservoir for storing the chemical is highly desirable.

The most preferred add-on type chemical reservoir is an insert receivedwithin the bottle portion of the spray bottle dispenser. This type ofinsert can be manufactured extremely cheaply in high volume whileproviding all the performance characteristics necessary for a safe andreliable product. Specifically, the insert can be made with one or morechambers or cells containing chemical that can be accessed in variousways. For example, the reservoir can be sealed with membranes that canbe punctured with an instrument, in particular the tip of the downtube.Alternatively, the walls of the chemical reservoir can be designed orconfigured so as to be readily bursted upon application of externalpressure to the chemical reservoir. Adding lines of weaknesses, thinningof walls and other means for locally weakening a portion of the chemicalreservoir can be implemented for use in the present invention.

Alternatively, one or more of the components of the conventional spraybottle dispenser (e.g., bottle portion, spray head portion, downtube)can be modified to provide the chemical reservoir. For example, thewalls or bottom of the bottle portion can be modified, by molding achemical reservoir in one or more sides or bottom of the bottle portion,the spray head portion can be provided with a chemical reservoir, and/orthe downtube can be provided with an add-on chemical reservoir or thewalls of the downtube can be molded to provide a chemical reservoir.However, all of these approaches will initially be substantially greaterin cost due to the modification of conventional components notnecessitated by the use of an insert according to the present invention.

The insert according to the present invention can take on many differentforms and configurations. A first preferred embodiment of the insert isdefined by a cylinder having one or more chambers or cells disposedtherein. The interior of the cylinder can be provided with one or morebisecting walls to define the chambers along the length thereof Aplastic cylinder having one or more bisecting walls can be easilyextruded in plastic. The top and bottom of the one or more chambers ofthe insert are sealed by upper and lower sealing membranes. Themembranes can be films, foils, composites of films and foils, or anyother suitable composite that is both chemically resistant and subjectto being punctured readily by an instrument, in particular, the tip ofthe downtube, or can be made to burst.

The upper and lower sealing membranes can be connected to the insert bybonding, adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, sonic welding, or suitablemethods for forming a liquid tight seal (e.g., hermetic seal).

This embodiment of the insert can be marketed inside a filled spraybottle dispenser at point-of-sale. The downtube extends through an openchamber of this insert down into the lower portion of the bottle portionto access premixed chemical reagent added by the bottler duringmanufacture. After consumption of the chemical reagent, a user unscrewsthe spray head and lifts the downtube from the bottle portion. Theinsert is rotated so that one chemical reservoir is now positioned wherethe open chamber was previously positioned (i.e., now registered forbeing punctured by the downtube). The user then forces the tip of thedowntube through the upper sealing membrane, down through the chamber,and then punctures the lower sealing membrane. Water can be addedthrough the open chamber of the insert before or after the step ofaccessing the chemical reservoir by puncturing with the downtube. Thisconfiguration allows the chemical to be always stored within theconfines of the spray bottle dispenser, and minimizes the steps neededfor recharging the spray bottle dispenser.

The consumer will experience little inconvenience in removing the sprayhead and downtube from the bottle portion, rotating the insert,puncturing the chemical reservoir, adding water through the open chamberof the insert, and reassembling the spray head portion to the bottleportion. Further, the chemical concentrate stored within the insert isextremely safe for handling and preventing accidental consumption bychildren (i.e., a child would have to successfully unscrew the sprayhead portion from the bottle portion, fully remove the downtube from thebottle portion, and successfully puncture the insert). Further, even inthe event of puncture of the insert by a child, the access openingthrough the upper sealing membrane would be sufficiently small tosubstantially limit spilling and containing most chemical from beingeasily ingested by a child. Thus, the present invention providessubstantial safeguards over current methods of selling large quantitiesof chemical concentrate at the point-of-sale, and subsequently havingthe consumer handle and mix the chemical concentrate in his or her home.

This particular insert can have one, two, three, four or more separatechambers or cells. For example, in the case of four cells, one cellwould be an open cell through which the downtube is initially placed bythe bottler during assembly when the spray bottle dispenser is providedwith an initial charge of diluted chemical. Thus, in this example, thereremains three cells that can be utilized as three separate chemicalreservoirs. This four cell configuration would allow the user toinitially consume the premixed diluted chemical reagents of the spraybottle dispenser, and then recharge the spray bottle dispenser threemore times prior to consuming all the chemical contained in the spraybottle dispenser. If the consumer then disposed of the spray bottledispenser at that point, this would provide a three time improvementover the current practice of consumers utilizing a spray bottledispenser one time prior to disposal. Thus, the consumption of spraybottle dispensers could be reduced three-fold (i.e., one fourth thewaste) if fully implements.

However, this invention can even provide for an even greater improvementover the current practices by consumers. Specifically, this insert canalso be sold at the point-of-sale as a separate item that could be addedto a conventional point-of-sale type spray bottle dispensers having noinserts after the initial consumption of the contents, or for use withspray bottle dispensers having inserts according to the presentinvention after the complete chemical consumption of the insertsinitially sold with the units.

This new system would greatly decrease the shipping weight and costsassociated therewith, decrease retail shelf space for marketing theproduct, and most importantly greatly decrease the consumption and wasteof plastic material. Specifically, the volume of plastic needed to makethe four chamber insert described above would be a small fractioncompared with the weight of four conventional spray bottle dispensersbased on equal amounts of useable diluted chemical reagent.

Further, conventional spray bottle dispensers are substantially muchgreater in cost to produce relative to the insert according to thepresent invention, and would conserve significant labor and other directand indirect costs associated with the production of conventional spraybottle dispenser components versus the insert according to the presentinvention. Further, the insert according to the present invention canreadily be recycled, and could potentially be refilled if an adequatesystem were developed to reprocess such inserts, however, more thanlikely the inserts would be disposed of by consumers based onconvenience factors.

A second embodiment of an insert according to the present inventioninvolves forming a strip of chemical reservoirs that can be disposedwithin the bottle portion of the spray bottle dispenser. The strip ofchemical reservoirs can be made at high speed, and would most likely bemade in a continuous strip and cut to length when completed forinsulation in each spray bottle dispenser. The strip type insert can bemanufactured by a high speed molding technique such as vacuum formingthe chemical reservoirs from a plastic strip, filling the chemicalreservoirs with chemical, and sealing the chemical reservoirs. Thiscompleted strip is then cut to length based on the number of reservoirsto be added to the spray bottle dispenser, and is preferably attached byadhesive or other technique to the inside surface of the bottle portion.The chemical reservoirs made of the plastic strip are made in such amanner that the chemical reservoirs can be punctured by an instrument,in particular, the tip of the downtube, or can be made to,. burst byadding external pressure to the chemical reservoir. A user can burst oneor more (i.e. one, two, three, etc.) of the chemical reservoirs tospecifically tailor the concentration of the diluted chemical reagent.Thus, the present invention allows the consumer some latitude inselecting concentration levels currently unavailable with conventionalspray bottle dispensers.

In a third embodiment, a plurality of separate cylindrical chemicalreservoirs can be added to the inside of the bottom portion. Thecylinder chemical reservoirs are provided with upper sealing membranethat can be punctured by an instrument, in particular the tip of thedowntube. The cylinder reservoirs can be separate units or connectedtogether by a strip, or by some other manner. The cylindrical chemicalreservoirs are preferably located at the bottom wall of the bottomportion to allow easy access by the tip of the downtube during apuncturing operation.

In a fourth embodiment, cylindrical chemical reservoirs bridge the sidewalls of the bottle portion. The cylinder reservoirs are made so theycan be burst by simply pressing together the walls at the location ofthe particular cylinder reservoir.

In a fifth embodiment, separate donut-shaped chemical reservoirs areadded to a conventional downtube. The donut-shaped reservoirs can bemade so as to be punctured or burst for chemical access. Alternatively,one or more small holes through the inner surface of the donut-shapedreservoirs can be provided and sealed by the downtube itself (adhesivecan also be provided to insure adequate sealing). In this type ofarrangement, the chemical inside the donut-shaped reservoir can beaccessed by simply pulling the donut-shaped chemical reservoir off thedowntube exposing the opening through the inner wall of the donut-shapedreservoir. The donut-shaped reservoir can be removed by unscrewing thespray head portion from the bottle portion, lifting the downtube untilthe lowermost donut-shaped reservoir is located at or near the openingof the bottle portion, holding the donut-shaped reservoir by thefingertips of one hand at the opening to the bottle portion, and thenlifting with the other hand the downtube so as to detach thedonut-shaped reservoir from the downtube, and then allowing thedonut-shaped reservoir to drop into the bottle. Water is added before orafter to dilute the concentrate to form the diluted chemical reagent.

In a sixth embodiment, an insert is provided with a plurality ofreservoirs in a stepped and stacked array. The top reservoir is thinnerand deeper compared with a bottom reservoir that is wider and shallower.One or more reservoirs having dimensions in between that of the top andbottom reservoirs can be provided therebetween. This stepped and stackedarrangement allows easy access to any of the chemical reservoirs by aninstrument, in particular the tip of the downtube for puncturing amembrane sealing each reservoir.

In a seventh embodiment, a plurality of reservoirs are provided in aninsert and a stacked arrangement. Each reservoir is sealed at the topand bottom with a sealing membrane. A person using a spray bottledispenser containing this insert initially punctures the upper and lowersealing membrane of the upper reservoir during a first rechargingoperation, punctures the upper and lower sealing membranes of the middlereservoir to access chemical in the middle reservoir during a secondrecharging operation, and does the same to the third chemical reservoirin the third recharging operation.

Rechargeable Containers and Dispensers

A first object of the present invention is to provide an improveddispenser.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing at least one charge of a substance.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing at least one charge of a substance.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing at least one charge of aconcentrated substance.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of a substance.

A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing multiple charges of a substance.

An eighth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of a concentrated substance.

A ninth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing multiple charges of a concentratedsubstance.

A tenth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of the same substance.

An eleventh object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of the same concentratedsubstance.

A twelfth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing multiple charges of the samesubstance.

A thirteenth object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing multiple charges of thesame concentrated substance.

A fourteenth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of different substances.

A fifteenth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of different concentratedsubstances.

A sixteenth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing multiple charges of differentsubstances.

A seventeenth object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing multiple charges ofdifferent concentrated substances.

An eighteenth object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa substance associated with the dispenser.

A nineteenth object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa substance associated with the dispenser and located outside thedispenser.

A twentieth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing at least one charge of a substanceassociated with the dispenser and located inside the dispenser.

A twenty-first object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa substance associated with the dispenser and incorporated into thedispenser.

A twenty-second object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa concentrated substance associated with the dispenser.

A twenty-third object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa concentrated substance associated with the dispenser and locatedoutside the dispenser.

A twenty-fourth object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa concentrated substance associated with the dispenser and locatedinside the dispenser.

A twenty-fifth object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing at least one charge ofa concentrated substance associated with the dispenser and incorporatedinto the dispenser.

A twenty-sixth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing at least one charge of a substance storedwithin the dispenser.

A twenty-seventh object of the present invention is to provide adispenser configured for containing at least one charge of aconcentrated substance stored within the dispenser.

A twenty-eighth object of the present invention is to provide adispenser configured for containing multiple charges of differentreactive substances.

A twenty-ninth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenserconfigured for containing multiple charges of different concentratedreactive substances.

A thirtieth object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeabledispenser configured for containing multiple charges of differentreactive substances.

A thirty-first object of the present invention is to provide arechargeable dispenser configured for containing multiple charges ofdifferent concentrated reactive substances.

A thirty-second object of the present invention is to provide adispenser or rechargeable dispenser of the combinations set forth inobjects one (1) through (29) above, in combination with partial and/orfull contents including a substance; same substances; differentsubstances; concentrated substances; concentrated same substances;concentrated different substances; substance and/or concentratedsubstances; reactive same substances; reactive different substances;reactive same substance(s) and/or different substance(s); samesubstance(s) and/or reactive different substance(s); reactive sameconcentrate substance(s); reactive different concentrated substance(s);reactive same concentrated substance(s) and/or different substance(s);same substance(s) and/or different concentrated substance(s), and/orreactive same concentrated substance(s) and/or reactive differentconcentrated substance(s), and all other combination of contents orpartial contents having the same and/or different concentrations,type(s) of substance, reactivity and/or non-reactivity with one or moreother substance(s).

A thirty-third object of the present invention is to provide a dispenseror rechargeable dispenser of the combinations set forth in objects one(1) through thirty (30) above, including means for compromising one ormore reservoirs of the dispenser or rechargeable dispenser for mixing,reacting, dissolving, liquefying, gasifying, solidifying, or otherwisebringing one or more substances together. Specifically, the meansinclude apparatus or devices or configurations for piercing, bursting,stretching, creasing, cracking, cutting, drilling, rubbing, milling,heating, dissolving, melting, irradiating, chemically reacting, andother suitable methods and/or means.

Cartridge (Capsule)

A first object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining a substance.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining a concentrated substance.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of a substance.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of a concentrate substance.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of the same substance.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of the same concentrated substance.

A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of different substances.

An eighth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of reactive substances.

A ninth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge forcontaining multiple charges of different reactive substances.

A tenth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge havingmultiple reservoirs for containing a substance.

An eleventh object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving multiple reservoirs configured for containing one or moresubstances, which reservoirs are configured to be simultaneously opened.

A twelfth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving multiple reservoirs configured for containing one or moresubstances, which reservoirs are configured to be selectively opened.

A thirteenth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving multiple reservoirs configured for containing one or moresubstances, which reservoirs are configured to be simultaneously and/orselectively opened in one or more different modes of operation and use.

A fourteenth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving at least one reservoir configured for containing one or moresubstances, which at least one reservoir is configured to be opened at asingle location.

A fifteenth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving at least one reservoir configured for containing one or moresubstances, which at least one reservoir is configured to be opened atmultiple locations.

A sixteenth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving multiple reservoirs configured for containing one or moresubstances, which reservoirs are each configured to be opened at onesingle location and/or multiple locations.

A seventeenth object of the present invention is to provide a cartridgehaving at least one reservoir configured to be compromised by piercing,bursting, stretching, creasing, cracking, cutting, drilling, rubbing,milling, heating, dissolving, melting, irradiating, chemically reacting,and other suitable methods and/or means.

An eighteenth object of the present invention is to provide a plasticcartridge having the combinations set forth in objects one (1) throughseventeen (17) above made by molding, injection molding, vacuum forming,drawing, casting, extruding, heating, irradiating, distorting, and/orother suitable methods of forming plastic materials.

A nineteenth object of the present invention is to provide a dispenseror rechargeable dispenser of the combinations set forth in objects one(1) through (29) above, in combination with partial and/or full contentsincluding a substance; same substances; different substances;concentrated substances; concentrated same substances; concentrateddifferent substances; substance and/or concentrated substances; reactivesame substances; reactive different substances; reactive samesubstance(s) and/or different substance(s); same substance(s) and/orreactive different substance(s), reactive same concentrate substance(s);reactive different concentrated substance(s); reactive same concentratedsubstance(s) and/or different substance(s); same substance(s) and/ordifferent concentrated substance(s), and/or reactive same concentratedsubstance(s) and/or reactive different concentrated substance(s), andall other combination of contents or partial contents having the sameand/or different concentrations, type(s) of substance, reactivity and/ornon-reactivity with one or more other substance(s).

The containers and dispensers according to the present invention can beutilize for thousands of various applications. For example, thedispenser according to the present invention can be utilized fordispensing chemicals, consumer cleaning chemicals (e.g. glass cleaners,surface cleaners, toilet cleaners, disinfectants), professional cleaningchemicals, soaps, reactive chemicals, health and personal care chemicalproducts, toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and pharmaceuticalpreparations, plant chemicals and fertilizers, insecticides, solvents,paints, beverages, alcohol and non-alcohol drinks, foods for animaland/or human consumption, and all other suitable applications fordispensing a substance.

The containers and dispensers according to the present invention can beunitized with substances in various physical states including gas,liquid, solid (e.g. pills, packets), paste, slurries, unsaturatedsolutions, super saturated solutions, multi-phase substances,combinations of these physical states mixed, blended, reacted,dispersed, or associated in some manner), and other types of suitablephysical states.

The containers and dispensers according to the present invention isparticularly suitable for containing, storing, mixing, blending,reacting, dispersing, or otherwise associating one or more substances.The dispenser according to the present invention is particularlysuitable for containing, storing, mixing, blending, reacting, and/ordispersing at least one concentrated substance with at least one diluent(e.g. water, solvent, premixed reagent, diluted reagent, etc.). In thismanner, one or more charges of concentrate substance(s) can be dilutedand dispensed from the dispenser according to the present invention. Insome preferred embodiments, multiple charges of concentrated substancecan be associated with the dispenser, preferably stored within thedispenser, and then simultaneously or selectively utilized to charge orrecharge the dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a first preferred embodiment of thespray bottle dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the insert having three (3) separatechambers or cells defining two chemical reservoirs and an empty chamberwith the insert removed from the bottle portion of the spray bottledispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top planer view of the insert shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom planer view of the insert shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial detailed view showing the lip of the insert beingsupported by the mouth of the bottle portion of the spray bottledispenser shown in FIG. 1 to suspend the insert in the bottle.

FIG. 6A is a preferred alternative insert having an empty center chamberto accept a downtube centered in the mouth of the bottle portion, andhaving four (4) chemical reservoirs.

FIG. 6B is a preferred alternative insert having four (4) chambers or(i.e., three chemical reservoirs and one empty chamber) cells, insteadof three (3) chambers of the insert shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a second preferred embodiment ofthe spray bottle dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial detailed side cross-sectional view through onereservoir of the spray bottle dispenser shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective head-on view of the outer surface of thereservoir shown in FIG. 8, showing the lines of weakness in thereservoir.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a third preferred embodiment ofthe spray bottle dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of one reservoir of the spraybottle dispenser shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of a fourth preferred embodimentof the spray bottle dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view through one reservoir of the spraybottle dispenser shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the one reservoir shown in FIG.13, showing it bridging between the sides of the bottle portion, andconnected at both ends to the sides of the bottle portion.

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the fifth preferred embodiment ofthe spray bottle dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of one donut-shaped reservoir of the spraybottle dispenser shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17A is a side cross-sectional view of the donut-shaped reservoirshown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 17B is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative donut-shapedreservoir.

FIG. 18 is an insert of a sixth preferred embodiment of the spray bottledispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the upper reservoir of the insertas indicated in FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the middle reservoir of the insertas indicated in FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the lower reservoir of the insertas indicated in FIG. 18.

FIG. 22 is an insert of a sixth preferred embodiment of the spray bottledispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a side longitudinal cross-sectional view of the insert shownin FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a side elevational view of an insert with a mechanicalconnector according to the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the mechanical coupler, as shown inFIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a side elevational view of a preferred, spray bottledispensing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a break away side elevational view of the spray bottledispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of a preferred insert according tothe present invention.

FIG. 29 is a top planar view of the insert shown in FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a bottom planar view of the insert shown in FIG. 28.

FIG. 31 is a center vertical cross-sectional view of the insert shown inFIG. 28.

FIG. 32 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of an insertaccording to the present invention provided with outer ribs.

FIG. 33 is a partial break away cross-sectional view of a portion of afurther embodiment of an insert according to the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a side elevational view of a bayonet device according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 35 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a bayonetdevice according to the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a partial elevational view of a tip of a bayonet deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a partial elevational view of another embodiment of a tip ofa bayonet device according to the present invention.

FIG. 38 is a bottom planar view of the bayonet tip shown in FIG. 37.

FIG. 39 is a partial elevational view of a further embodiment of a tipof a bayonet device according to the present invention.

FIG. 40 is a bottom planar view of the plunger tip shown in FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a top planar view of a washer portion of a bayonet deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 42 is a top planar view of another embodiment of a washer portionof a bayonet device according to the present invention.

FIG. 43 is a top planar view of a further embodiment of a washer portionof a bayonet device according to the present invention.

FIG. 44 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of an insertaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 45 is a top planar view of the insert shown in FIG. 44.

FIG. 46 is a side elevational view of another further embodiment of aninsert according to the present invention.

FIG. 47 is a top planar view of the insert shown in FIG. 46.

FIG. 48 is a side elevational view of an even further embodiment of aninsert according to the present invention.

FIG. 49 is a top planar view of the insert shown in FIG. 48.

FIG. 50 is a bottom planar view of the insert shown in FIG. 48.

FIG. 51 is a center vertical cross-sectional view of the insert shown inFIG. 48.

FIG. 52 is a side elevational view of an insert and bayonet combination.

FIG. 53 is a side elevational view of an insert provided with a safetycap according to the present invention.

FIG. 54 is a vertical center cross-sectional view of the insert shown inFIG. 53.

FIG. 55 is a side elevational view of a spray bottle dispensingapparatus with two (2) inserts according to the present invention.

FIG. 56 is a side elevational view of a spray bottle dispensingapparatus with a bayonet device store in a second neck portion of thespray bottle.

FIG. 57 is a vertical center cross-sectional view of a cap deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 58 is a perspective view of the lower cap portion of the cap deviceshown in FIG. 57.

FIG. 59 is a perspective view of the upper cap portion of the cap deviceshown in FIG. 58.

FIG. 60 is a vertical center cross-sectional view of another embodimentof a cap device according to the present invention.

FIG. 61 is a partially broken away side elevational view of a cap incombination with a bayonet device.

FIG. 62 is a partially broken away side elevational view of a cartridgeand cartridge receiver having a reverse bayonet device.

FIG. 63 is a perspective view of the cartridge and cartridge receivershown in FIG. 62.

FIG. 64 is a side cross-sectional view of a spray bottle deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 65 is a side cross-sectional view of another spray bottle deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 66 is a side elevational view of a cartridge and a cross-sectionalview of a cartridge receiver according to the present invention shownthe direction an manner of insertion of the cartridge into the cartridgereceiver.

FIG. 67 is a center vertical cross-sectional view through the cartridgeshown in FIG. 66.

FIG. 68 is a center vertical cross-sectional view through anotherembodiment of the cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 69 is a center vertical cross-sectional view through a furtherembodiment of the cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 70 is a side elevational view of a cartridge and a center verticalcross-sectional view through a cartridge receiver having a bayonet typeconnection therebetween according to the present invention.

FIG. 71 is a top elevational view of the the cartridge receiver shown inFIG. 70.

FIG. 72 is a side elevational view of a cartridge and a center verticalcross-sectional view through a cartridge receiver having a keyedarrangement therebetween according to the present invention.

FIG. 73 is a top elevational view of the cartridge receiver shown inFIG. 72.

FIG. 74 is a side elevational view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 72 anda center vertical cross-sectional view through a neck portion of acontainer having a keyed arrangement therebetween according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 75 is a top elevational view of the neck portion of a containershown in FIG. 74.

FIG. 76 is partial broken away side elevational view of a spray bottledispenser according to the present invention with a multiple tabletcartridge dispose in the second neck portion of the spray bottle.

FIG. 77 is a center vertical cross-sectional view of the multiple tabletcartridge shown in FIG. 77.

FIG. 78 is a disassembled view of the contents of another embodiment ofa cartridge having multiple individual containers.

FIG. 79 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an individualcontainer having upper and lower screen portions.

FIG. 80 is a center vertical cross-sectional view of the individualcontainer shown in FIG. 79.

FIG. 81 is a side elevational view of a container provided with acartridge for charging or recharging the container.

FIG. 82 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a cartridge disposedwithin a cartridge receiver having a “reverse” bayonet.

FIG. 83 is a perspective view of the cartridge receiver shown in FIG.82.

FIG. 84 is a perspective view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 82.

FIG. 85 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the cartridgereceiver as indicated in FIG. 83.

FIG. 86 is a perspective view of a circular seal having an openingprovided in the cartridge receiver as shown in FIG. 82.

FIG. 87 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a cartridgehaving a secant or quadrant shaped passageway extending therethrough toallow a diluent such a water to be poured therethrough.

FIG. 88 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a cartridgehaving a center through hole extending therethrough to allow a diluentsuch as water to be poured therethrough.

FIG. 89 is a spray bottle dispenser according to the present inventionprovided with a push-pull nozzle closure on the second neck portionthereof.

FIG. 90 is a spray bottle dispenser in combination with an associatedcontainer provided with a push-pull nozzle closure according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 91 is a spray bottle dispenser according to the present inventionprovided with a container and push-pull nozzle closure provided in thesecond neck portion thereof.

FIG. 92 is dissembled view of the container and push-pull nozzle closureshown in FIG. 91.

FIG. 93 is a perspective view of a bottle dispenser according to thepresent invention provided with a push-pull nozzle closure on a firstneck portion and a threaded cap on a second neck portion thereof.

FIG. 94 is a side elevational view of a beverage dispenser provided witha cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 95 is a partially broken away vertical cross-sectional view ofanother embodiment of a funnel-shaped cartridge according to the presentinvention having an upper screen portion and lower screen portion.

FIG. 96 is a perspective view of the funnel-shaped cartridge shown inFIG. 95.

FIG. 97 is a side elevational view of a water bottle type containerprovided with a cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 98 is a center vertical cross-sectional view of an adapter threadedonto a container according to the present invention.

FIG. 99 is a side elevational view of the cartridge and center verticalcross-sectional view of the adapter shown in FIG. 98 assembled together.

FIG. 100 is a center vertical cross-sectional view of an adapterprovided with a freely rotating bayonet device.

FIG. 101 is a top perspective view of the adapter shown in FIG. 100.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Definitions

The spray bottle dispenser according to the present invention includesone or more reservoirs containing chemical or chemicals (i.e., chemicalreservoirs).

The chemical reservoir can be a separate unit indirectly associated withthe spray bottle dispenser by packaging, or directly associated to thespray bottle dispenser by connection to the spray bottle dispenserexternally or internally. Preferred embodiments contain the one or morechemical reservoirs internally, most preferably contained inside thebottle portion to fully contain an inadvertent chemical spill or releasefrom the one or more chemical reservoirs.

In the case of an external connection with the spray bottle dispenser,the chemical reservoir can be connected by a separate piece mechanicalfastener such as a plastic tab or strip connector connecting thechemical reservoir to the bottle portion, spray head portion, orconnected to both the bottle portions and spray head portions of thespray bottle dispenser.

Alternatively, the chemical reservoir can be formed as an integralportion of the bottle portion, spray head portion, and/or downtube. Inthe integral embodiments, the chemical reservoir can be connected byadhesive, plastic welding, plastic forming (e.g., molding), or by othermeans to directly integrate the reservoir into the spray bottledispenser components.

In a preferred embodiment, the spray bottle dispenser is provided withone or more separate chemical reservoirs to allow the spray bottledispenser to be recharged one or mor time. In a most preferredembodiments, the spray bottle dispenser is provided with one or morechemical reservoirs to allow the user to access more than one chemicalreservoirs during a single recharge to increase (e.g., double, triple,quadruple, etc.) the chemical concentration of the recharging mixture inthe particular recharging operation.

The chemical reservoirs can be identical units to simplify and reducecosts of manufacturing, or alternatively, can be different size, shapeand/or configuration of chemical reservoirs. For example, bothinternally and externally connected chemical reservoirs can be applied,and/or integral and separate type chemical reservoirs can be combined.

The one or more chemical reservoirs of the spray bottle dispensercontain chemical or chemicals. Specifically, the reservoir can be filledor partially filled with only a single chemical compound, a one phasemixture of chemicals, a two phase mixture of chemicals, a dispersion, orany other liquid type chemical(s). Alternatively, the chemical(s) can bein the form of a solid such as a tablet, powder, or granules, orsemi-solid such as a thick slurry. In any event, the reservoir shouldcontain a chemical reagent that is readily diluted or dissolvable with asolvent, particularly plain water.

A preferred embodiment of a spray bottle dispenser 10 according to thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 1-5. The spray bottle comprises aspray head portion 12 including an inner threaded coupler 16 threadedonto an outer threaded neck of the bottle portion 14. A downtube 18 isconnected to the spray head 12 portion, and extends down into the bottomof the bottle portion 14.

The spray bottle dispenser 10 is fitted with an insert 20 having threeseparate chambers 22, 24 and 26. In the embodiment of the insert 20 asshown in FIG. 2, the insert is provided with a rim 28 on an upperportion of the insert 20. The rim 28 has a diameter grater than theinner diameter of the threaded neck 30 of the bottle 14, as shown inFIG. 5. Thus, the rim 28 functions to suspend the insert 20 within thebottle 14.

The chambers 22, 24 and 26 are used for storing a predetermined quantityof liquid concentrate in each chamber. The chambers 24 and 26 are sealedat the top by an upper sealing membrane 32 and the bottom of thechambers 24 and 26 are sealed by lower sealing membrane 34 as shown inFIG. 5. The chamber 22 is open (i.e., not covered by sealing membranes32, 34) to accommodate the downtube 18, and also allow solvent such aswater to be added through the insert into the bottle portion 14.

The insert 20 is preferably made of suitable plastic material, and theupper sealing membrane 32 and lower sealing membrane 34 are preferablymade of suitable plastic film, metal foil, or other suitable single orcomposite layer. The membranes should be chemically resistant to thecontents and suitable for making a liquid tight seal with the insert.The upper sealing membrane 32 and lower sealing membrane 34 can beattached to the insert 20 by various means. For example, the membranes32 and 34 can be attached by bonding, adhesive bonding, thermal welding,sonic welding, or by any suitable conventional means for providing aliquid tight seal (e.g., hermetic seal) of the chambers 22, 24 and 26.

Various other inserts having suitable configurations can be substitutedfor the insert 20 shown in FIG. 1. For example, a five (5) chamberinsert 20′ having an open center chamber 36 and four (4) chemicalchambers 37, 38, 39 and 40, is shown in FIG. 6A, and four (4) chamberinsert 20″ having chambers 41, 42, 43 and 44, is shown in FIG. 6.Further, the length of the insert relative to the length of the bottle14 can be substantially varied based on different concentration levelsof the concentrate utilized in the insert. Specifically, higherconcentration concentrate requires less volume in the chambers of theinsert, and thus reducing the needed length of the insert.

The insert 20 can be made by a variety of different techniques, however,injection molding or extruding techniques are the most suitable methodsof manufacture.

The insert 20 can be marketed inside the bottle at the point-of-sale,and/or can be marketed as a separate unit that can be inserted into aconventional spray bottle.

In the case of the insert being marketed inside the bottle, all three(3) chambers 22, 24 and 26 can initially be chemical reservoirs. Thebottle is filled with water or other suitable diluting liquid and thetop sealing membrane 32 and bottom sealing membrane 34 sealing thechamber 22 can be punctured by the lip of the downtube 18 duringinsertion of the downtube into the bottle portion prior to securelyfastening the spray head to the bottle portion to complete the packagingassembly.

Alternatively, the chamber 22 may be open (i.e., devoid of any liquidconcentrate, as discussed above) and the bottle is initially filled withproper concentration diluted chemical reagent liquid ready to bemarketed with the downtube 18 passed through the open chamber 22 duringassembly. In the embodiment having three (3) chambers as shown in FIG.3, two additional doses of concentrate contained in chambers 24 and 26can be sequentially punctured by the consumer to dose a bottle withconcentrate. The bottle 14 can be supplied with water through emptychamber 22 before or after the dosing step by the consumer.

A second embodiment of a spray bottle 100 according to the presentinvention as shown in FIGS. 7-9. The spray bottle 100 comprises a sprayhead portion 102 and a bottle portion 104. The spray head portion 102includes a threaded coupler 106 for connecting the spray head portion102 to a threaded neck of the bottle portion 104. A downtube 108 isconnected to the spray head portion 102, and extends down to the bottomof the bottle portion 104.

In this second embodiment, a strip 110 having a plurality of chemicalreservoirs 112 containing liquid concentrate is provided in the bottleportion 104. The strip 110 is attached to an inside surface of one wallof the bottle portion 104. The specific location of the strip 110 can bechanged from that shown in FIG. 7 to other locations on the side and/orbottom of the bottle portion 104. Each chemical reservoir 112 is made ina manner so that is can be ruptured either by forcing the tip of thedowntube 108 into the surface of the reservoir 112, or by pinching theoutside walls of the bottle portion 104 together to burst one or morechemical reservoirs 112. For example, the chemical reservoir 112 can bemade so that its wall has one or more lines of weakness 114, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9.

The strip 110 is preferably made in an infinite length, and then cut tolength for the particular application. Thus, different size bottlescould potentially have more or less number of individual chemicalreservoirs 112. Further, making the strip 112 in an infinite mannerwould allow for high speed production of the strip 110 for high speedinsertion during bottling. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the strip110 is provided with an adhesive layer 116 connecting a sealing layer118 to the back of the strip 110. Another adhesive layer connects thestrip 110 to the wall of the bottle portion 104.

A third embodiment of a spray bottle dispenser 200 according to thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The spray bottledispenser 200 comprises a spray head portion 202 and a bottle portion204. The spray head portion 202 includes a threaded coupler 206 forconnecting the spray head 202 to a threaded neck of the bottle portion204. A downtube 208 is connected to the spray head portion 202, andextends down to the bottom portion of the bottle portion 204.

In this third embodiment, a plurality of chemical reservoirs 210 areprovided at the bottom of the bottle portion 204. The chemicalreservoirs 210 can be individual chemical reservoirs, or alternatively,can be connected together by mechanical coupler in some manner. In anyevent, the chemical reservoirs 210 must be configured in such a mannerso that they can be passed through the open mouth of the bottle portion204.

A detailed cross-sectional view of one of the chemical reservoirs 210 isshown in FIG. 11. The chemical reservoir 210 can be cylindrical or someother suitable shape with an open end 212 at a top portion thereof. Theopen end 212 is sealed with a metal foil 214 that can be punctured by aninstrument, in particular the tip of the downtube 208. The reservoir 210is at least partially filled with a chemical concentrate liquid L.

In use, the spray bottle dispenser 200 is filled by the bottler withdiluted chemical reagent. The four (4) chemical reservoirs 210 are eachat least partially filled with a chemical concentrate. Thus, thisparticular configuration allows for four (4) recharging operations. Eachrecharging operation begins with unscrewing the threaded coupler of thespray head portion 202 from the spray bottle 204, and slightly liftingthe spray head portion 202 upwardly until the tip of the downtube 208clears the upper surfaces of the reservoirs 210. The user then forcesthe tip of the downtube 208 through the metal foil 214 of one of thereservoirs 210 causing it to be punctured. The bottle portion 204 isfilled with water either before or after the step of accessing one ofthe chemical reservoirs 210.

A fourth embodiment of a spray bottle dispenser 300 according to thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 12 to 14. The spray bottle dispenser300 comprises a spray head portion 302 and a bottle portion 304. Thespray head portion 302 includes a threaded coupler 306 for connectingthe spray head portion 302 to a threaded neck of the bottle portion 304.A downtube 308 is connected to the spray head portion 302, and extendsdown to the bottom portion of the bottle portion 304.

In this fourth embodiment, strips 310 and 312 connect together aplurality of chemical reservoirs 314. Five (5) reservoirs are shown inFIG. 12, however, either more or less reservoirs can be utilized.

The reservoir 314 is provided with lines of weakness 316 as shown inFIGS. 13 and 14. The lines of weakness allow the reservoir 314 to burstupon application of force to the reservoir 14. For example, the sides ofthe bottle portion 304 can be squeezed at the location of one of thechemical reservoirs 314 causing it to burst.

The strips 310 and 312 are preferably secured to the walls of the bottleportion 304. For example, the strips 310 and 312 can be adhered withadhesive, or connected by sonic welding or thermal welding. The strip310 and chemical reservoirs can be molded from plastic.

In this particular embodiment, the spray bottle dispenser 300 isrecharged by bursting one or more of the reservoirs 314. The morereservoirs 314 that are burst, the stronger in concentration theresulting diluted chemical reagent will be. A solvent such as water canbe added before or after the bursting operation. The spray bottledispensers are preferably filled with diluted chemical reagent by thebottler containing the plurality of reservoirs 314 to allow numerousrecharging operations.

A fifth embodiment of a spray bottle dispenser 400 according to thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 15 to 17. The spray bottle dispenser400 comprises a spray head portion 402 and a bottle portion 404. Thespray head portion 402 includes a threaded coupler 406 for connectingthe spray head portion 402 to a threaded neck of the bottle portion 404.A downtube 408 is connected to the spray head portion 402, and extendsdown to the bottom portion of the bottle portion 404.

In this fifth embodiment, a plurality of donut-shaped chemicalreservoirs 410 are provided on the downtube 408. Specifically, thedonut-shaped chemical reservoirs 410 each have a center hole 412 throughwhich the downtube 408 passes. The chemical reservoirs 410 are providedwith a metal foil 414 for sealing an upper end of the chemical reservoir410 for containing the chemical reagent liquid L, as shown in FIGS. 16and 17.

In use, the spray bottle dispenser 400 is initially filled by thebottler with dilute chemical reagent and sold at the point-of-sale.After the initial consumption of the diluted chemical reagent, a userunscrews the spray head portion 402 from the body portion 404 and liftsthe downtube 408 from the bottle portion 404. The user then grips thelowermost reservoir 410 and simply pulls it off the end of the downtube408, and then punctures the metal foil 414 with an instrument, inparticular the tip of the downtube 408. The punctured reservoir 410 isdropped into the bottle portion 410. A solvent such as water is added tothe bottle portion 404 before or after the step of puncturing thereservoir 410. The spray bottle dispenser 400 is then reassembled byscrewing the spray head portion 402 onto the bottle portion 404.

Another embodiment of a donut-shaped chemical reservoir 410′ is shown inFIG. 17B. This chemical reservoir 410′, is sealed at the top to definean annular chamber 416 containing the chemical concentrate liquid L. Oneor more small holes 418 are provided on the internal wall of the throughhole 412′ to allow chemical to escape therethrough. The hole 418 issealed by the outer surface of the downtube when the downtube isinserted through the center hole 118. Further, a thin layer of adhesiveor sealant can be applied between the donut-shaped reservoir and thedowntube to further ensure sealing of the hole 418.

A sixth embodiment of a spray bottle dispenser utilizes insert 500 asshown in FIGS. 18 to 21. The insert 500 comprises a cylinder portion 502having a lip portion 504, a connector portion 506 connecting thecylinder portion 502 to an upper reservoir 508, a connector portion 510connecting the upper reservoir 508 to a middle reservoir 512, and aconnector portion 514 connecting the middle reservoir 512 to the lowerreservoir 516. A downtube 518 is shown passing through the hollowcylinder portion 502, however, is not connected to the insert 500.

The reservoirs 508, 512 and 516 are in a stacked and steppedarrangement. The upper reservoir 508 is thinner in width and deeper indepth compared with the lower reservoir 516. The middle reservoir 512has dimensions between those of the upper reservoir 508 and lowerreservoir 516. This stepped and stacked arrangement allows access by aninstrument to puncture sealing membranes (not shown) sealing eachreservoir 508, 512, 516 while the insert remains in the bottle portionof the spray bottle dispenser.

A seventh embodiment of a spray bottle dispenser having an insert 600 isshown in FIGS. 22 and 23. The insert 600 comprises a cylindrical portion602 having a lip portion 604, a connector portion 608 connecting thecylindrical portion 602 to upper reservoir 610, a connector portion 612connecting the upper reservoir 610 to middle reservoir 614, and aconnector portion 616 connecting the middle reservoir 615 to lowerreservoir 618. The top and bottom of each reservoir 610, 614 and 128 areopen, and each sealed by upper metal foil 620 and a lower metal foil622.

In use, the spray bottle dispensers are filled with diluted chemicalreagent initially by the bottler, and the downtube is passed onlythrough the cylinder portion 602. After consumption of the initialdiluted chemical reagent, the user withdraws the downtube above thelevel of the upper reservoir 612, and forces the tip of the downtubethrough the upper metal foil 520 and lower metal foil 622 of thereservoir 510 releasing the chemical concentrate liquid into the bottleportion. A solvent such as water is added before or after the step ofaccessing the chemical concentrate liquid. After puncturing the metalfoil 520 and 622, the downtube is lifted upwardly and then passedbetween the cylinder portion 602 and the side of the reservoir 610.Alternatively, the downtube can be threaded through the reservoir 610and down along the side of the middle reservoir 614 so as not topuncture the chemical reservoir 614. The connector portion 608, 612 and616 are substantially flexible enough to act as hinges to move the lowerreservoirs out of the way so as not to be punctured by the downtubeduring the insertion operation of the downtube.

In an alternative embodiment, only the upper portion of each reservoiris provided with a membrane that can be punctured with the bottoms beingmolded portions of the reservoirs, and not readily subject to beingpunctured.

In an eighth embodiment, a mechanical coupler 700 is connected to aninsert 702. The insert 702 is identical to the insert shown in FIG. 2,however, with no lip portion 28. The mechanical coupler includes a lipportion 704 and a connector portion 706 connected together by four (4)standoffs 708 (only two are shown in FIGS. 24 and 25). The connectorportion 706 is connected to an upper portion of the insert 702, byinterference fit, adhesive, sonic welding, thermal welding, or by othersuitable connection means.

This arrangement provides four (4) portion 710 to allow water pouredthrough the center of the mechanical coupler 700 to pass through and outthe ports 710 into the bottle portion when recharging the spray bottledispenser with this arrangement.

This arrangement allows the insert 702 to be extruded continuously,since no lip need be molded in the insert 702. The insert 702 isprovided with upper and lower sealing membranes (not shown) and thenattached to the mechanical coupler 700 during assembly. Thus, the insert702 can be cut from a continuous length of material extruded at highspeed, filled with chemical concentrate, sealed with the sealingmembranes at both ends, and then assembled with the mechanical coupler700 to finish complete assembly.

Two-neck Spray Bottle Dispenser

A preferred spray bottle dispenser 800 is shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. Thespray bottle dispenser 800 includes a spray head 802, a downtube 804 andan internally threaded coupler 806. The spay bottle dispenser 800 alsoincludes a two-neck spray bottle 808 including a first externallythreaded neck portion 810 cooperating with the internally threadedcoupler 806 of the spray head 802, and a second externally threaded neckportion 812 cooperating with an internally threaded cap 814.

An insert 816 disposed within the assembled spray bottle dispenser 800,as shown in FIG. 26. The insert 816 is the same or similar to the insert20, 20′ and 20″ shown in FIGS. 1-6B. Specifically, the insert includesat least one reservoir for containing chemical concentrate, preferably,the insert includes multiple reservoirs containing chemical concentrate.A bayonet device 818 including a washer 820 and bayonet 822 is providedon the downtube 804, as shown in FIG. 27. Specifically, the washer 820is provided with a through hole for accommodating the downtube 804. Anadditional washer 824, for example, made of foam material is optionallyprovided between the bayonet device 818 and the insert 816.

The bayonet device 818, washer 824 and insert 816 are all slidable alongthe downtube 804 to allow assembly of the spray bottle dispenser 800.Preferably, the through hole in the washer 820 is held fairly tightly(e.g., slight interference fit) on the downtube 804 so that it can bepositioned at an upper portion of the downtube 804, and will not slipeasily from this position once assembled. The through holes in thewasher 824 and insert 816 can be slightly oversized to facilitate easyassembly and venting of air from the spray head 802 into the spraybottle 808.

The spray bottle dispenser 800 is assembled by inserting the downtube804 into the spray head 802, and then sliding in the bayonet device 818,washer 824 and insert 816 onto the downtube 804. This subassembly shownin FIG. 27, is then loaded into the spray bottle 808 through the firstneck portion 810. Alternatively, the insert 816 can be first disposed inthe first neck portion 810 of the spray bottle 808 and then thesubassembly including the spray head 802, downtube 804, bayonet device818 and washer 824 may be loaded into the spray bottle 808 by feedingthe tip of the downtube 804 through the through hole in the insert 816.Then, the threaded coupler 806 of the spray head 802 is rotated toconnect with the externally threaded first neck portion 810 of the spraybottle 808. The cap 814 can be connected to the externally threadedsecond neck portion 812 before or after the subassembly is connected tothe spray bottle 808.

The details of the insert 816 are shown in FIG. 28-31. The insert isprovided with four (4) reservoirs 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d. The insert816 is also provided with a through hole 828 (e.g., centered oroff-centered depending on spray head design) to accommodate the downtube804 of the spray head 802, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27.

The reservoirs 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d, are defined by different wallportions of the insert 816. Specifically, the insert 816 includes anouter cylindrical portion 816 a divided into four (4) sections by ribs816 b connecting to an inner cylindrical portion 816 c.

The upper ends of the reservoirs 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d are openwhile the lower ends of the reservoirs are closed by a bottom wallportion 816 d, as shown in FIG. 30. The insert 816 is preferably made byinjection molding a plastic material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene,polyvinyl chloride, PETE, etc.).

The upper ends of the reservoirs 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d are sealedby a sealing membrane 828, as shown in FIG. 31. The membrane, forexample, can be a metal foil, polymer film, composite polymer film,composite film of foils and/or films, or other suitable sealingmembranes. The membrane 828 can be applied by adhesive, thermal welding,inductive welding, ultrasonic welding, or other suitable methods. It hasbeen found that the use of a cap seal is particularly suitable utilizinginductive heating or welding to ensure a long lasting airtight seal.Alternatively, a foil and/or film can be inductively heated and sealedwithout a backing layer of a cap seal.

The bottom of each reservoir 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d are formedclosed, and are defined by bottom wall portion 816 d integrally moldedas part of the insert 816, as shown in FIG. 31. The bottom wall 816 d isconfigured so as to be breakable by the tip of the bayonet 822. Forexample, a circular groove can be molded in the bottom wall portion 816d as shown in FIGS. 30 and 31. The circular groove reduces the thicknessof the bottom wall portion 816 d between the outer cylindrical wallportion 816 a and inner cylindrical wall portion 816 c. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 31, the circular groove 830 is locatedapproximately midpoint between the outer cylindrical wall portion 816 aand inner cylindrical wall portion 816 c, which corresponds to aposition where the tip of the bayonet 822 engages during a process ofrupturing or puncturing the bottom wall portion 816 d of one of thereservoirs 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d. The rupturing of the bottom wallportion 816 d of one of the reservoirs 826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d,releases chemical concentrate stored in that particular reservoir of theinsert 816 into the spray bottle 808.

The insert 816 shown in FIG. 28 is provided with an upper flange portion817 a to allow the insert 816 to be suspended in the first neck portion810 of the spray bottle 808 shown in FIG. 27. The body portion 817 b isprovided with an outer diameter such that it can be inserted within thefirst neck portion 810 of the spray bottle 808. Specifically, the outerdiameter of the body portion 817 b can be slightly oversized, the samesize, or undersized relative to the inner diameter of the circularopening of the first neck portion 810. In the situation of the diameterof the insert 816 being slightly oversized, an interference fit isprovided to retain the insert 816 within the first neck portion 810 toan extent requiring some force to be applied to the insert in order toretrieve the insert 816 from the first neck portion 810 at a later time.Alternatively, in the situation of the outer diameter of the insert 816being the same or undersized relative to the inner diameter of the firstneck portion 810, the insert 816 can be freely inserted and removed withlittle or no resistance. In some applications, it is desirable that theinsert 816 is freely insertable and removable to allow another insert tobe reloaded into the first neck portion 810 of the spray bottle 808 tomaximize reuse of the spray bottle dispenser 800. In other applications,it is desirable that the insert, once inserted into the first neckportion 810 of the spray bottle 808 is substantially not removableprecluding reuse of the spray bottle dispenser 800 (e.g., chemicalconcentrate that is highly toxic or corrosive such as insecticides,strongly acidic, strongly basic, organic solvents, toxic additives).

In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 32, the insert 816′ isprovided with ribs 817 c′ to purposely create an interference fitbetween the insert 816′ and the first neck portion 810 of the spraybottle 808 at the location of the ribs 817 c′, The ribs 817 c′ make theinsert 816′ more difficult (i.e., requires additional force) to retrievefrom the first neck portion 810 of the spray bottle 808, once insertedinto the first neck portion 810. However, in this embodiment, the insert816′ can still be removed from the first neck portion 810, but mayrequire a tool (e.g., a fingernail) to pry the insert from the spraybottle 808. In a further embodiment shown in FIG. 33, the ribs can eachbe provided with a notch 817 d′ which allows the rib 817 c′ to act as ahook or barb to substantially retain the insert within the first neckportion 810 of the spray bottle 808 making it substantially notremovable. Further, the first neck portion 810 of the spray bottle 808can be provided with a slightly inwardly extending flange, which wouldbe accommodated within the notch 817 d′ of the rib 817 c′ providing aninterlocking fit again to make the insert substantially not removablefrom the first neck portion 810 of the spray bottle 808.

An embodiment of the bayonet device 818 is shown in FIG. 34. In thisembodiment, the bayonet device 818 is made as a one-piece unit, forexample, by injection molding of plastic material. The bayonet device818 includes a washer 820 provided with a through hole 820 a foraccommodating the downtube 804 of the spray head 802 (FIG. 27) with anintegrally molded bayonet 822 extending downwardly therefrom. Thebayonet 822 is provided with a tip portion 822 a having a beveled endthat is somewhat sharpened to facilitate rupturing of the bottom wallportion of a reservoir of the insert 816. Specifically, the sharpenedtip provides a point force to facilitate rupturing of the bottom wallportion 816 d at the weakened position of the wall portion 816 d locatedat the circular groove 830.

In an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 35, the bayonet device 818′ ismade as a two-piece unit wherein the washer 820′ is a separate unit fromthe bayonet portion 822′. In this embodiment, the washer 820′ isprovided with a flange 820 b′ having a hole 820 c′ for accommodating anupper end of the bayonet portion 822′. For example, the pieces can beassembled by an interference fit, adhesive, thermal welding, inductivewelding, or by some other suitable method of connection to ensure thatthe bayonet device once assembled will remain preferably permanentlyassembled.

In this embodiment, the washer portion 820′ can be made of differentmaterial from the bayonet portion 822′, for example, the washer portion820′ can be made of injection molded plastic material while the bayonetportion 822′ can be made of a composite fiberglass material to provideadditional strength and sharpness of the tip 822 a ′. Alternatively, thebayonet portion 822′ can be made from extruded plastic material. In thesituation of the bayonet portion 822′ being extruded, the entire lengthof the bayonet portion 822′ can be fluted or serrated to provide aplurality of peripheral grooves along the length thereof to facilitatedrainage of chemical concentrate (i.e., prevent sealing) between the tip822 a′ and the bottom wall portion 816 d of one of the reservoirs 826 a,826 b, 826 c, 826 d.

Various tip designs of the bayonet 822 are shown in FIGS. 36-40. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 36, the tip 822 a is provided with a beveledend 822 b providing a sharpened tip 822 c. The outer surface of thebayonet 822 a is substantially smooth. In another embodiment shown inFIG. 37, the tip 822 a″ is provided with a pair of opposite flutes orgrooves 822 d″ to facilitate the drainage of chemical concentratebetween the tip and the bottom wall 816 d of the insert. Specifically,the flutes 822 d″ provide fluid passageways for the chemical concentrateto drain even when the tip 822 a″ is fully surrounded by the rupturedbottom wall portion 816 d of the insert 816. In a further embodimentshown in FIGS. 39 and 40, the tip 822 a′″ is fluted or grooved aroundits entire periphery to provide multiple fluid passageways for chemicalconcentrate to drain from a ruptured reservoir of the insert 816.

The venting arrangement of a conventional spray head and spray bottleshould be maintained with use of the insert 816 according to the presentinvention. Specifically, a conventional spray head vents air back intothe spray bottle to compensate for liquid being withdrawn from the spraybottle during use. Otherwise, as the spray bottle is evacuated, a vacuumcondition will be created therein making suction of the liquid throughthe downtube more difficult or impossible.

The conventional spray head is provided with an air passageway to ventair in an upper neck portion of the spray bottle. The insert accordingto the present invention could potentially interfere with venting whenused with a conventional spray head and conventional spray bottle, sincethe insert is essentially a plug in the upper neck portion of the spraybottle.

The insert 816, bayonet device 818 and washer 824 can all be designed tofacilitate venting, however, it has been found during experimental usethat even small micro cracks through or between these components issatisfactory for venting the spray bottle without purposely designingventing features in these components. For example, the through hole 828in the insert 816, shown in FIG. 28, can be slightly oversized relativeto the outer diameter of the downtube 804 providing a liquid and/or airpassageway. The washer 820 of the bayonet device 818 can have variousdesigns, for example, like those shown in FIGS. 41-43. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 41, the through hole 820 a has an inner diameter slightlyless than the outer diameter of the downtube 804 to provide a slightinterference fit between the washer 820 a and the downtube 804. Thus,little if any venting can occur between the washer 820 and the downtube804. However, even with this embodiment, it has been found thatsufficient venting occurs through micro cracks in use. In an improvedembodiment shown in FIG. 42, the washer 820″ again is provided with athrough hole 820 a″ having an inner diameter slightly less than theouter diameter of the downtube 804 providing a slight interference fittherebetween. However, a partial circular groove or slot 820 b″ isprovided substantially at the same radius as the location of the bayonet822″. Thus, after the initial reservoir has been ruptured and thebayonet device has been rotated 90°, 180° or 270°, the partial circulargroove 820 b″ is aligned with and overlaps the puncture holes in thesealing membrane 822 previously made by the bayonet 822. Since theprevious reservoirs are also punctured at the bottom wall portion of theinsert 816, a completed liquid and/or gas passageway is provided throughthat particular reservoir of the insert. In a further alternativeembodiment, the washer 820′″ is provided with a square through hole 820a′″. The width of the square through hole 820 a′″ is slightly less thanthe outer diameter of the downtube 804 to provide a slight interferencefit therebetween. The corners of the square through hole 820 a′″ serveas four (4) vents between the upper and lower surfaces of the washer820′″. Thus, a clear passageway for liquid and/or gas is establishedthrough the bayonet device 818 and insert 816 along the sides of thedowntube 804. The washer 824 shown in FIG. 27, can also be provided withthe same or similar design to the washer 820 of the bayonet device 818to also facilitate venting of gas and/or liquid from the spray head intothe spray bottle. Various other designs and configurations of thebayonet device 818 and washer 824 can be designed and adapted forvarious applications. Due to the many variables affecting venting, alldesigns should be tested to ensure that adequate venting occurs betweenthe spray head and spray bottle. Again, only very small micro cracksbetween components or through components are necessary to providesufficient venting. Further, in the application of a two-neck bottle,additional venting can occur between the cap 814 and second neck portion812 in the spray bottle shown in FIG. 27.

The insert 816 can be provided with additional modifications and designsfor use in various applications and with various conventional andnon-conventional spray head and spray bottle components. The insert 816″shown in FIG. 44 is provided with an additional through hole 828 a foraccommodating and storing the bayonet 822 of the bayonet device 820 whenthe spray dispensing apparatus 800 is assembled. Otherwise, the bayonet822 of the bayonet device 818 can be stored in one of the reservoirs 826a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d. In a further alternate embodiment, insert 816′″as shown in FIGS. 46 and 47 is provided with an upper wider throughpassageway portion 828 a′″ and a lower through passageway portion 828b′″. The wider upper through passageway portion 828 a′″ has been widenedsignificantly over the outer diameter of the dip tube 804 to accommodatevarious spray head designs which have portions extending down from thespray head into the first neck portion of the spray bottle. For example,a CALMAR spray head is provided with a tubular receiver extending downfrom the spray head for receiving an upper portion of the downtube. Theinsert 816′″ can be further modified to properly cooperate andmechanically interface with the structure of various other conventionaland non-conventional spray heads. These are examples of suchmodifications that need to be made to provide for proper assembly andoperation of the completed spray dispensing apparatus.

FIGS. 48-50 show an additional embodiment of an insert 816″″ accordingto the present invention. In this embodiment, one quadrant of the bottomwall portion 816 d′ is purposely made void to provide an additionalthrough hole for accommodating the bayonet 822 of the bayonet device818. The insert 816″″ can be molded in this specific configuration.Further, the additional through hole provides substantial venting forgas and/or liquids, and could be potentially utilized for adding waterthrough the insert itself in the application of the insert 816″″ in aconventional one-neck spray bottle to allow filling with bothconcentrate and water (i.e., eliminates need for two-neck spray bottle).

Alternatively, the insert 816 shown in FIG. 52 can accommodate thebayonet 822 of the bayonet device 818 in one of the four (4) reservoirs826 a, 826 b, 826 c, 826 d. However, the tip 822 a will be forcedthrough the bottom wall portion 816 d in this embodiment. Thisparticular reservoir can be filled with chemical concentrate causing thereservoir to rupture and release chemical concentrate into the spraybottle 808 during assembly, or can be a dummy chamber (i.e., not filledwith chemical concentrate) in some applications.

The insert 816 according to the present invention can be manufactured,marketed and sold as a separate product unit as opposed to an entirespray dispensing apparatus 800 of the type shown in FIG. 27. In thespray dispensing apparatus 800, the insert 816 is essentially doublepackaged. Specifically, in the assembly shown in FIG. 27, once the spraybottle apparatus is assembled, the insert 816 which is a package, ispackaged inside the spray bottle 808 itself Thus, any inadvertentleakage by the insert 816 will tend to leak into the spray bottle 808preventing any inadvertent spillage exterior to the spray dispensingapparatus 800.

When the insert 816 is manufactured, marketed and sold as a separatestand alone unit, any leakage from the insert will be exterior to theinsert. For instance, the sealing membrane 828 in some embodiments(e.g., metal foil) is somewhat susceptible to easy puncture or damagewhich could cause inadvertent spillage or contamination. Further, anyleakage from the insert of the chemical concentrate could cause damageto packaging or damage to other commercial or other household productsand/or facilities storing such an insert. Most important, any spillagecould be a personal hazard, in particular to children, who couldinadvertently come into contact with or even ingest chemical concentratecausing serious injury or potentially death. Thus, it is preferred toprovide an additional sealing or protecting means to an upper portion ofthe insert or encompassing the entire insert, particularly for consumeruse. For example, the insert can be blister packed or packaged in amanner so that the insert is fully encompassed by sealed packaging.Alternatively, only the upper portion of the insert 816 is furtherprotected. For example, as shown in FIG. 52, the bayonet device 818 canbe connected to the insert 816 by driving the bayonet 822 through adummy chamber and through the bottom wall portion 816 d of the insert816. Due to the bayonet tip 822 a penetrating through and rupturing thebottom wall portion 816 d, the bayonet device 818 is now removablyconnected to the insert 816 (i.e., tip 822 a is held by bottom wallportion 816 d). Thus, the washer portion 820 protects the sealingmembrane 828 located between the bottom surface of the washer portion820 and the upper surface of the insert 816. Alternatively, the washer820 can be connected to the upper portion of the insert 816 by adhesive,thermal welding, inductive welding, ultrasonic welding or other suitablemethod to more securely releasably connect the washer 820 to the insert816 to require a user to pry the bayonet device 820 from the insert 816when assembling the spray dispensing apparatus 800.

As shown in FIGS. 53 and 54, the insert 816 is provided with anadditional sealing device (e.g., child safety cap) to further protectthe sealing membrane 828 against any damage and leakage. In the eventthe sealing membrane 828 should fail, the safety cap 832 biases thesealing membrane 828 against the upper sealing surfaces of the insert tomaintain an adequate seal. The safety cap 832 can be made of variousresilient plastic materials including polyurethane, nylon, polyvinylchloride and other suitable materials. The safety cap 832 is providedwith an inner peripheral groove 834, which accommodates the edges of theupper flange 817 a. Due to the resilience of the safety cap 832, thesafety cap can be snap fit over the edges of the flange to provide anadditional sealing means.

Reactive Chemistry

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a spraydispensing apparatus having an insert and the insert itself The insertis provided with at least one reservoir for containing chemicalconcentrate. In a preferred embodiment, the insert is provided withmultiple reservoirs for containing separate charges of chemicalconcentrate.

In the preferred embodiment having multiple separate reservoirs, theinsert according to the present invention can be provided with chemicalconcentrate of the same concentration or chemical concentrate ofdifferent concentrations. Further, different chemical compositions canbe contained in the separate reservoirs for providing various chemicalmixtures. In a preferred embodiment, two or more different reactivechemicals are stored in separate reservoirs that can be both ruptured toallow mixing of these chemicals with or without water initially to forma reactive chemical mixture. Storage of chemicals in this manner ensuresfreshly reacted chemicals having the highest level of activities.Performance chemicals ranging from applications for personal care,surface cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides and other known classes ofchemical compounds that can be formed by mixing two or more differentcharges of chemicals together can be dispensed with the spray dispensingapparatus and insert according to the present invention.

Other configurations of the spray bottle dispenser are shown in FIGS. 55and 56. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 55, an additional insert 816 isprovided in the second neck portion 812 of the spray bottle 808. Thisarrangement would provide an extra four (4) charges of chemicalconcentrate for storage in the second neck portion of the spray bottle800′. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 56, the bayonet device 818 isstored as a separate unit in the second neck portion 812 of the spraybottle 808. A user unscrews the cap 814 to retrieve the bayonet device818, dissassembles the insert 816 and washer 824 from the downtube 804,and then assembles the bayonet 818, washer 824 and insert 816 onto thedowntube 804 prior to installing the subassembly into the spray bottle808. In this manner, the bayonet device 818 can be stored inside thespray bottle dispensing apparatus 800″ without comprising or rupturingone of the four (4) reservoirs containing chemical concentrate allowingfor four fills or refills of chemical concentrate. In this manner, thespray bottle dispensing apparatus can be shipped empty (i.e., no liquidin the spray bottle 808 but only chemical concentrate inside the insert816). Thus, the spray dispensing apparatus 800″ can be shipped to adistributing center or point-of-sale at a greatly reduced weight, sincethe spray bottle 808 is not provided with liquid contents.Alternatively, the spray bottle 808 can be also supplied with liquidcontents providing an initial fill of working chemical and four (4)refills, however, there will be no weight savings compared with aconventional spray bottle device.

Alternative Cap Type Embodiments

A cap device 900 can be used with a

one-neck spray bottle or multiple-neck spray bottle to provide at leastone dose or charge of chemical concentrate into the spray bottle. Asshown in FIGS. 57-59, a multiple reservoir cap 900 can be provided toadd two or more chemicals, preferably reactive chemicals to dose a spraybottle. The cap 900 includes an upper cap portion 902 nested within alower cap portion 904. The upper cap portion 902 is shown provided withtwo separate reservoirs 904 a and 904 b for containing separate chargesof chemical concentrate, again preferably reactive chemicals.

The bottom end of the upper cap portion 902 is provided with a sealingmembrane 906 to seal the lower ends of the reservoirs 904 a, 904 b. Thelower cap portion 904 is provided with a frangible bottom wall portion904 a provided with a peripheral groove 904 b to provide a breakablewall portion.

The bottom wall portion 904 a is provided with protrusions 904 c,preferably sharpened, which will puncture and rupture the sealingmembrane 906 when the upper cap portion 902 is further driven downwardlyinto the lower cap portion 904. Upon further driving the upper capportion 902 downwardly into the lower cap portion 904, the lower edge ofthe upper cap portion 902 will cause the bottom wall portion 904 a tobreak away and release the chemicals into a spray bottle to which thecap 900 is applied. A center rib 908 separates the one reservoir 904 afrom the other reservoir 904 b.

The cap 900 is inserted into a neck portion of a spray bottle,Specifically, the lower cap portion 904 is received in the neck portionwith the upper flange 904 a resting on the upper edge of the neckportion of the spray bottle. The inner threads 902 a of the upper capportion 902 engage with the external threads of the neck portion of thespray bottle to force the upper cap portion 902 downwardly into thelower cap portion 904. The sealing membrane 906 is forced into theprotrusions 904 c causing the two reservoirs 904 a and 904 b to rupturereleasing chemical. As the upper cap portion 902 is further rotated, thelower edge of the upper cap portion 902 is rammed into the frangiblebottom wall portion 904 a of the lower cap portion 904 causing it tobreak and release chemical into the spray bottle.

Another embodiment of a cap device 900′ is shown in FIG. 62. In thisembodiment, the bottom wall portion 904 a′ of the lower cap portion 904′is provided with a shorter height protrusion 904 c′ and a higher heightprotrusion 904 d′ and a hole 904 e′. The differential height of theprotrusions 904 c′ and 904 d′ allow for the reservoir 904 a′ to beselectively comprised without immediately comprising reservoir 904 b′.Any chemical released from either reservoir enters the chamber betweenthe upper cap portion 902 and lower cap portion 904 and drains throughthe through hole 904 e′. Thus, the cap 900′ can be partially rotated torupture reservoir 904 a′ to charge the spray bottle, and then at a latertime the cap can be reused and further rotated to then comprise theother reservoir 904 b′. Thus, this multiple reservoir cap can providefor selective release of chemical for charging or recharging a spraybottle at different times.

Reverse Bayonet Embodiments

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 61, a combined cap andbayonet device 818′ is shown. The device 818′ includes a bayonet device818 connected to a cap 814′ by a protrusion 814 a′. For example, theprotrusion 814 a′ can be configured to snap fit through hole 820 a inthe washer 820 of the bayonet device 820. In this embodiment, thebayonet device 820 can freely rotate around the protrusion 814 a′relative to the cap 814′. In addition, a washer or seal can be providedon the lower side of the washer 820 to enhance sealing between the capand bayonet device 818′.

An alternative to the bayonet device 818 is shown in FIG. 62, as a“reverse-bayonet” configuration. Specifically, the reverse-bayonetconfiguration utilized a cartridge receiver 1000 including a “reverse”bayonet portion 1002. The cartridge receiver 1000 is defined by an upperflange portion 1000 a, a cylindrical portion 1000 b, and a lower wallportion 1000 c having a through hole 1000 d. The “reverse” bayonetportion 1002 is configured (e.g. pointed, beveled, sharpened) topenetrate through a bottom of the cartridge 816 when the cartridge isforced downwardly into the cartridge receiver 1000 releasing substancestored in the cartridge 816.

The bayonet portion 1002 is designed or configured to compromise thebottom of the cartridge 816 in a manner to puncture at least onereservoir of the cartridge 816. Alternatively, multiple bayonet portions1002 can be provided extending upwardly from bottom wall portion 1000 dat different locations (e.g. at 180 degrees, 90 degrees) tosimultaneously puncturing two (2), three (3), four (4) or morereservoirs of the cartridge 816. Alternatively, the multiple bayonetportions 1002 can have different heights to selectively puncture onereservoir by forcing the cartridge 816 into the cartridge receiver 1000to a first extent, and then puncture another reservoir at a timeinterval later to puncture a second reservoir by forcing the cartridge816 further into the cartridge receiver 1000 to a second extent.

The method of puncturing the bottom of the cartridge 816 must besufficient to cause adequate release (e.g. drainage) of the cartridge.In the case of a liquid, the puncture must allow some venting of thepuncture reservoir of the cartridge 816. This can be accomplished byproviding the bayonet portion 1002 with various tip designs (See FIGS.36 to 39), slightly rotating (e.g. back-and-forth) the cartridge 816 inthe cartridge receiver 1000 to increase the size of the puncture hole,and/or providing a through hole in the bayonet portion 1002. Indifferent embodiments of the cartridge 816, puncturing occurs through afoil, film or other type of end seal of the cartridge 816, or throughthe plastic molded bottom of the cartridge 816. In a furtheralternative, the bayonet portion 1002 may be a separate piece (e.g. madeof metal to further facilitate cutting or puncturing) rather than theintegral molded bayonet portion 1002 shown in FIGS. 62 and 63.

The cartridge receiver 1000 can be provided in the neck portion of asingle neck bottle. In a multiple neck bottle, one or more cartridgereceivers 1000 can be provided in one or more neck portions. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 64, a cartridge receiver 1000 is provided inthe first neck portion 810 of the two-neck bottle 808. Alternatively,the cartridge receiver 1000 could be positioned in the second neckportion 812, or two cartridge receivers 1000 could be provided in eachneck. The cartridge receiver 1000 is shown as a separate componentrelative to the bottle 808, however, the bottle could be formed (e.g.blow molded and/or injection molded) with a cartridge receiverintegrally molded into one or more necks of a bottle. The separatecartridge receiver 1000 can be removably connected or substantiallypermanently connected (e.g. heat welding, sonic welding, mechanicalconnection, mechanical snap-fit connection, adhesive or bondedconnection) to the bottle 808.

In another embodiment, the cartridge receiver 1000 is provided through awall portion of the bottle 808, as shown in FIG. 65. For example, a holecan be provided through a wall portion of the bottle 808′, and acartridge receiver 1000 can be installed in the hole by heat welding,sonically welded, mechanical connection, adhesive or bonded connection,and/or other suitable means. These methods are particularly suitablewhere both the bottle 808 (808′) and the cartridge receiver 1000 areboth made of plastic, in particular the same or similar plastic.Alternatively, the bottle 808′ can be formed (e.g. blow molded and/orinjection molded) with an integrally molded cartridge receiver 1000 at awall portion of the bottle 808′.

The cartridge 816A shown in FIGS. 65-67 is provided with a grippingportion 816 a having an annular indentation 816 a′ to facilitategripping by a user's fingers and thumb during removal and replacement ofthe cartridge 816A. In this embodiment, the cartridge is held within thecartridge receiver 1000 by a function fit. Specifically, the outerdiameter of the cartridge 816A is slightly greater relative to the innerdiameter of the cartridge receiver 1000. In another embodiment of thecartridge 816B shown in FIGS. 66 and 67, the cartridge 816B is fittedwith a seal ring 816 b (e.g. “O” ring) received within an annular groove816 c of the cartridge 816B. The cartridge receiver 1000 is provided acorresponding annular groove 1000 e for receiving a portion of thesealing ring 816 b when the cartridge 816B is fully inserted into thecartridge receiver 1000 for removably connecting the cartridge 816Bwithin the cartridge receiver 1000.

The upper end of the cartridge 8166B is provided with a sealing membrane828 while the lower end of the cartridge 816B has an integrally moldedbottom portion. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 68, the upper end of thecartridge 816C is provided with a cap 832 for protecting the sealingmembrane 828 and providing a “double” seal. In this embodiment, the cap832 defines a gripping portion 816 a″. Thus, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 67, the gripping portion 816 a′ is an integrally molded portion ofthe cartridge 816B while in the embodiment shown in FIG. 68, thegripping portion is a separate component relative to the cartridge 816C.

In a further embodiment shown in FIG. 69, the bottom end of thecartridge 816D is provided with a sealing membrane 828 and an integrallymolded gripping portion 816 a′″. Preferably, the cartridge 816D isstored upside-down and the end having the sealing membrane 828 isprovided with a cap or second seal (e.g. sticky back cardboard or foamwafer seal) for protecting the sealing membrane 828.

In an even further embodiment shown in FIG. 70, the cartridge 816E“positively” locks into the cartridge receiver 1000A. Specifically, thecartridge 816E is provided with a pair of protrusions 816E′, which passthrough a pair of slots 1000A′ provided in an inner flange 1000A″ of thecartridge receiver 1000A. When the cartridge 816E is fully inserted intothe cartridge receiver 1000A, the cartridge 816E is rotated locking theprotrusions 816E′ underneath of the inner flange 1000A″. The cartridge816E can be removed by rotating the cartridge 816E in the oppositedirection, and then lifting upwardly.

The cartridge and cartridge receiver can be configured to provide a keyarrangement. Specifically, the cartridge and cartridge receiver can bekeyed in such a manner so that only a specific configuration of acartridge can be fit into a specific configuration of a cartridgereceiver. The key arrangement can be utilized, for example, to allowonly one type of chemical to be used in one type of bottle (e.g. colorcoded bottles and cartridges to indicate type of chemical and/orcleaning use). The key arrangement can also be utilized for marketingpurposes to eliminate competitors from using bottles and/or cartridgesproviding an exclusive product or product lines. The keying arrangementcan be utilized with different size and/or shape cartridges and/orcartridge receivers or neck portions to provide the same effect or otherrelated effects.

As shown in FIGS. 72 and 73, the cartridge 816F can be provided with akeyed arrangement of protrusions 816F′ cooperating with a keyedarrangement of slots 1000B′ provided in an inner flange 1000B″. Forexample, the cooperating keyed arrangement of protrusions 816F′ andslots 1000B′ can have different widths, thickness, locations, groupingsor other keying arrangements so that only a specifically keyed cartridge816F will properly fit into a corresponding keyed cartridge receiver1000B. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 74 and 75, the neck portion 810′itself can be provided with an integrally molded keyed arrangement ofslots 810 a′ provided in an inner flange 810 a″ to cooperate with akeyed arrangement of protrusions 816F′ of cartridge 816F.

The dispenser according to the present invention is particularlysuitable for storing multiple separate quantities of substances, inparticular concentrated substances. The substance or concentratedsubstances can be provided in various forms including pills, tablets,wafers, vials, balls (e.g. like paint balls), separate containers,bubble packs, blister packs, test tubes, and other forms or containers.The substance or concentrated substance can be solids, liquids, gases,solutions, powders, microencapsulate substances, slurries, pastes,multi-phase mixtures or solutions, granules and other phases and/orstates.

As shown in FIGS. 76 and 77, a spray bottle dispenser 1100 is shownincluding a cartridge 1102 provided in the second neck portion 812. Thecartridge 1102 contains a plurality of separate chemical concentratetablets 1104 in a stacked arrangement. The cartridge 1102 can beconfigured to be insertable and removable cartridge to allow replacementwith another cartridge. Alternatively, the cartridge 1102 can beconfigured to be substantially non-removable from the spray bottle 808after insertion into the second neck portion 812.

The cartridge 1102 is provided with an upper seal 1106 to seal thecontents of the cartridge from air, moisture and contamination duringstorage, shipment and use. Alternatively, or in addition, a removablecap seal is provided for sealing the opening into the cartridge 1102.The seal can be made from a variety of materials including foils, films,multi-layer films, papers, cardboards, laminations, composite materials,and other suitable materials. The tablets 1104 are shown stacked incontact with each other, however, the tablets 1104 can optionally beindividually wrapped or package to further preserve the tablets andprevent the tablets from sticking together for some applications ofvarious chemical compositions. Further, the tablets 1104 can be replacedby thinner wafers of a more concentrated chemical substance to increasethe number of separate charges contained in the cartridge 1102 toprovide a greater number of recharges of the spray bottle dispenser.

A desiccator 1108 may also be supplied to maintain a moisture freeenvironment within the cartridge 1102. The desiccator 1108 can be aseparate unit, or can be incorporated into a cap seal for the cartridge1102. The desiccator 1108 is shown at the top of the cartridge 1102,however, it can be located at other positions inside the desiccator, andother separated desiccators can be added to effectively maintain amoisture free environment inside the cartridge 1102.

A user operates the spray bottle dispenser by removing the cap 814 andfilm 1106 (partially or fully), and then removing one or more tablets1104 from the cartridge 1102. The user can decide to use one, two ormore tablets to selectively vary the concentration of working mixturedesired depending on various applications. For example, for a glasscleaner one tablet is used in making the solution while in the case of asurface cleaner two tablets are used in making the solution. The one ormore tablets 1104 can be removed by tilting the spray bottle 808, or inthe case of a removable cartridge configuration, the cartridge 1102 canbe removed from the second neck portion 812 and then tilted itself Afterremoving one or more tablets 1104, the cartridge 1102 is sealed by thecap 114, or in addition, a seal (e.g. sticky back foil or film) orsealing device (e.g. cap or cork) can be utilized to ensure a good seal.The tablets can be added through the first neck portion 810 20 (i.e.after removal of spray head 802) and/or through the second neck portionalong with diluent such as water depending on whether the cartridge 1102is removable or nonremovable from the second neck portion 810.

In another embodiment of a cartridge 1202, as shown in FIG. 78, aplurality of separate packets or containers 1204 are loaded into thecartridge 1202 in a stacked arrangement. The packets can besubstantially dry chemical concentrate (e.g. powder, film,microencapsulated, sealed paste, granules) molded or formed into apacket with or without an outer sealing membrane or seal. The containers1204 can be made of dissolvable or non-dissolvable material(s) (e.g.dissolvable membrane, foil, film, paper, plastic, injection moldedpolyethylene or polypropylene, vacuum formed film like polystyrene orpolyvinyl, etc.), and each provided with a removable foil or film 1206having a gripping portion 1208 to facilitate removal. The cartridge 1202is used in the same manner as the cartridge 1102 except the foils orfilms 1206 are removed from the separate containers 1204 during use.Alternatively, the foils or films 1206 can be replace with a moisturedissolvable seal eliminating the need for the foils or films 1206 to beremovable prior to loading into the spray bottle 808.

Another embodiment of the container 1204′, as shown in FIGS. 79 and 80,can be used in the cartridge 1202 shown in FIG. 78. In this embodiment,the container 1204′ includes a lower cup-shaped portion 1204 a′ and anupper portion 1204 b′. The container 1204′, for example, can be made ofinjection molded plastic parts (e.g. polyethylene) that snap-fittogether for assembly. The lower portion 1204 a′ is provided with abottom screen portion 1204 c′, and the upper portion 1204 b′ is providedwith an upper screen portion 1204 d′, respectively. Chemical concentrate1204 e′ (e.g. granules, tablets, powder, micro capsules, paste, etc.)can be loaded into cup-shaped lower portion 1204 a′, and then the upperportion 1204′b can be snap fit into the lower portion 1204 a′.

During use, the container 1204′ can be loaded through the first neckportion 810 or second neck portion 812 of the spray bottle 808. When adiluent such as water is added to the spray bottle 808, before or afterloading the container 1204′ into the spray bottle 808, the diluententers into the container 1204′ through the screen portions 1204 c′ and1204 d′ to dissolve the chemical concentrate 1204 e′.

Recharging Containers and/or Dispensers

The cartridge system according to the present invention can be utilizedto charge and recharge numerous types of containers and dispensers.

As shown in FIG. 80, a container 1300 includes a carrying handle 1302and cap 1304. The container 1300, for example, can be a plastic blowmolded container. The container 1300 can be various sizes, includingcup, pint, quart, gallon, ½ liter, liter, multiple ounce (e.g. 10 oz.,12 oz., 14 oz., 15 oz., 16 oz., 18 oz., 20 oz., 21 oz., 22 oz., 24 oz.,26 oz, 28 oz., etc.) sizes.

The container 1300 is provided with a cartridge 1306. The cartridge 1306is the same or similar to the cartridge embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-6Band 26-80.

A particularly suitable embodiment of a cartridge system according tothe present invention for charging and recharging containers anddispensers is shown in FIGS. 81-84. In this embodiment, the cartridge1306 fits into a cartridge receiver 1308 provided in the neck portion ofthe container 1300. The cartridge receiver 1308 can be removable ornon-removable (e.g. snap fits into neck portion). Alternatively, thecartridge receiver 1308 is integrally molded into the neck portion ofthe container 1300. The cartridge receiver 1308 is preferably made ofplastic (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride,polyethylene teraphalate (PET), PETE, and other suitable plasticmaterials for making containers). However, the cartridge receiver 1308could be made of metal, ceramic, composite or other suitable material.

The cartridge 1306 shown in FIG. 81 is a four (4) chamber cartridge. Thecartridge can be a single or multiple chamber (e.g. two (2), three (3),four (4), five (5), six (6), seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), ten (10),or more number of chambers). The cartridge 1306 is integrally moldedclosed at one end, and provided with a foil or film seal 1310 at theother end. Typically, this cartridge 1306 would be filled with asubstance (e.g. liquid chemical concentrate such as soap, detergent,bleach, glass cleaner, surface cleaner, disinfectant, etc.) whenoriented with the open end upward following by sealing. Further, thecartridge 1306 would be stored with the foil or film seal end upward sothat the seal is not in direct contact with the substance. In addition,a second seal (e.g. cap or safety cap) could be provided over the foilor film seal 1310 to protect the seal 1310 against damage (e.g. cuts,punctures, etc.) and provide a double seal during shipment and storage.In preferred embodiments, the foil or film seal 1310 is applied to thecartridge 1308 by a cap seal that is subject to a radiated or inductiveheat process.

The bottom wall 1308 a of the cartridge receiver 1308 is provided with a“reverse” oriented bayonet 1308 b and a through hole 1308 c. Inaddition, a seal 1308 d (e.g. foam, paper, card board, film, compositelayer) is provided in the bottom of the cartridge receiver 1308.

The through hole 1308 c in the bottom wall 1308 d of the cartridgereceiver 1308, for example, can have the shape of a secant, as shown inFIG. 84. The secant in this embodiment is approximately one-eighth (⅛ )the area of the circular-shaped bottom wall 1308 a. The seal 1308 d, asshown in FIG. 85, is provided with the same or similar opening, which isaligned with the opening 1308 c in the bottom wall 1308 a of thecartridge receiver 1306.

The bayonet 1308 b is located in the remaining one-eighth (⅛ ) portionof the same quadrant portion as the opening 1308 c, which is alignedwith one of the four quadrant reservoirs of the cartridge 1308. Theremaining three (3) quadrant portions of the bottom wall 1308 a areclosed (i.e. not open) so as to provide a second seal by means of theseal 1308 d located in the bottom of the cartridge receiver 1308.Specifically, the seal 1308 d biases against the seal 1310 of thecartridge 1306 when the cartridge 1306 is fully inserted into thecartridge receiver 1308. The seal 1308 d provides a second seal, butalso forces against the existing seal 1310 to maintain the integrity ofseal 1310 with the edge and reservoir landings existing at the one endof the cartridge 1306 This arrangement, allows the cartridge 1306 to bemaintained in the orientation shown in FIG. 81 (i.e. substance incontact with seal 1310) for prolong periods of storage in the bottle1300. This arrangement helps to prevent any deterioration (e.g.separation, decomposition, weakening) of the seal 1310 during anyprolong storage period

The cartridge 1306 is provided with an upper flange 1306 a having four(4) indents 1306 b at a lower edge thereof to provide fingernail orthumb nail gripping points to facilitate removal of the cartridge 1306from the cartridge receiver 1308. In addition or alternatively, thelength of the cartridge 1306 and the length of the cartridge receiver1308 can be selected so that the upper flange 1306 a of the cartridge1306 is slightly separated from the upper flange 1308 e of the cartridgereceiver 1308 (See FIG. 81), again to facilitate separation and removalof the cartridge 1306 from the cartridge receiver 1308.

In an embodiment of the container 1300 utilizing both the cartridge 1306and cartridge receiver 1308, he container 1300 is filled or refilled byremoving cap 1304 and cartridge 1306, if one is already installed. Adiluent such a water is poured through the cartridge receiver 1308 intothe container 1300. Specifically, the diluent such as water passesthrough the through hole 1308 c in the bottom wall 1308 a of thecartridge receiver 1308. The existing cartridge 1306 or a new cartridge1306 is fitted into the cartridge receiver 1308. When the cartridge 1306is forced downwardly within the cartridge receiver 1308, the bayonet1308 b punctures the foil or film seal 1310 of one of the quadrantreservoirs. The user can slightly rotate the cartridge 1306back-and-forth to increase the size of the puncture hole through thefoil or film seal 1310 to ensure adequate drainage of the contents ofthe quadrant reservoir into the container 1300 to then mix with thediluent such as water. The solution can be agitated, for example, byshaking the container 1300.

The solution can be poured from the container 1300 for use by eitherremoving the cartridge 1306 or removing the assembly of cartridge 1306and cartridge receiver 1308. Alternatively, one quadrant of thecartridge 1306′ can be provided with a dummy reservoir and molded as aquadrant-shaped through passageway 1306 c′ open on both ends, as shownin FIG. 86, to allow solution to be poured from the bottle and throughthe cartridge 1306′ without removing the cartridge 1306′. In thisembodiment, after one quadrant reservoir is punctured and its contentsdrained, the cartridge 1306′ is slightly lifted and rotated to align thequadrant shaped through hole with the through hole 1308 c in the bottomwall 1308 a of the cartridge receiver. Then, the cartridge 1306′ isagain forced downwardly into the cartridge receiver 1308. In anotheralternative embodiment, a circular through hole 1306 c″ is provided inthe center of the cartridge 1306″, as shown in FIG. 87.

In a one (1) reservoir cartridge system, the cartridge is removed fromthe cartridge receiver after the contents are drained to allow solutionto be pour from the bottle through the cartridge receiver. In otheralternative arrangement, both ends of the cartridge are provided withfoil or film seals, which would allow one or more through passageways tobe formed through the cartridge by breaking and removing the sealportions for each end for one or more reservoirs.

Other Dispensers

The double neck bottle according to the present invention can beutilized for a variety of applications.

As shown in FIG. 89, the spray bottle dispenser 1400 is provided with apush-pull nozzle closure 1402 provided on the second neck portion 812instead of a cap 814 (See FIG. 26). This allows the spray bottledispenser 1400 dispense a pre-mixed solution contained in the spraybottle 808 via the spray head 802, or dispense the same pre-mixedsolution from the push-pull nozzle closure 1402 to another container(e.g. bucket). The pre-mixed solution contained in the spray bottle canbe sufficiently concentrated to be further diluted with a diluent suchas water after being dispensed to make a less concentrated solution. Forexample, the pre-mixed solution (e.g. grease cutting strength) can bedispensed in a separate bucket from the push-pull nozzle closure andwater added to the bucket to make a less concentrated cleaner forgeneral surface cleaning.

The spray bottle dispenser 1400 can also be used with the cartridgesystem according to the present invention as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27and FIGS. 55 and 56.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 90, a spray bottle dispenser 800 isassociated with another dispenser 1500 including a container 1502 andpush-pull nozzle closure 1504. The dispenser 1500 can be connected (e.g.mechanical fastener, coupling, two-compartment coaster), packaged (e.g.blister packed, shrink wrapped, boxed), or associated in some othersuitable manner with the spray bottle dispenser 800. The dispenser 1500contains a concentrated substance (e.g. liquid chemical concentrate)that can be added to the spray bottle dispenser 800 through the secondneck portion 812 along with a quantity of diluent such as water. Thespray bottle 808 can be designed to have a recess in a wall portionthereof to interlock and/or contain the smaller dispenser 1500.

In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 91 and 92, the spray bottledispenser 1500 is provided with a combined push-pull nozzle closure 1502connected to a cartridge 1504 (e.g. test tube-shaped container) forcontaining a liquid substance (e.g. liquid chemical concentrate). Thepush-pull closure 1502 is provided with an inner threaded flange 1502 acooperating with an outer threaded portion 1504 a of the cartridge 1504.The push-pull closure 1502 is also provided with another inner threadedflange 1502 b for cooperating with the outer threaded second neckportion 812 of the spray bottle 808. In use, the combined push-pullnozzle closure 1502 and cartridge 1504 are removed from the spray bottle808 by unthreading. The chemical concentrate can be poured from thecombined push-pull nozzle closure 1502 and cartridge 1504 by opening anpouring a quantity through the second nozzle portion 812 along with aquantity of diluent such as water. The combined push-pull nozzle closure1502 is then threaded back onto the second neck portion 812 to againseal the spray bottle 808.

A two-neck dispenser 1600 is shown in FIG. 93. In this embodiment, apush-pull nozzle closure 1402 is provided on the first neck portion 810of the bottle 808 while a cap 814 is provided on the second neck portion812. In this manner, the dispenser can function as a refillabledispenser by charging or recharging the dispenser 1600 through thesecond neck portion 812 without disturbing or removing the push-pullnozzle closure 1402 to add convenience for filling by a user.

A beverage dispenser 1700 is shown in FIG. 94. A one chamber or multiplechamber cartridge 1702 is provided in the neck portion 1704 of thecontainer 1706. The cartridge 1702 is provided with one or morecontent(s) for making one or more beverages when mixed with water. Thecontents of the cartridge 1702 are accessed, for example, by a straw1708 having a pointed end 1708 a. Alternatively, a separate bayonetdevice can be provided. The cartridge 1702 can be provided with a foilor film seal at both ends to facilitate puncturing with the straw 1708.Further, the cartridge can be provided with a circular through hole inthe center thereof (See FIG. 6A) for accommodating the straw 1708.

A one (1) chamber cartridge 1800 is shown in FIGS. 95 and 96. Thecartridge 1800 can be utilized for charging or recharging a container orsystem. The cartridge 1800 is provided with a funnel-shaped portion 1802having an upper rim 1804. An upper screen 1806 and a lower screen 1808are disposed within the cartridge 1800 for containing a concentratedsubstance 1810 (e.g. granules of chemical concentrate). The cartridge1800 is configured and sized to fit into the neck of a container.

A water bottle type dispenser 1900 is shown in FIG. 97. The dispenser1900 includes a container 1902 provided with a push-pull nozzle closure1904. A cartridge 1906 and a cartridge receiver 1908 are provided in theneck portion 1902 a of the container 1902. The cartridge receiver 1908can be provided with a bayonet the same or similar to the cartridgereceiver shown in FIG. 82. The cartridge 1906 can have one or morereservoirs for containing a concentrated drink substances (e.g. liquid,powder, granules, etc.)for making a drink (e.g. Gatoraide, Kool Aid)when mixed with water.

An adapter 2000 can be provided between a container (e.g. wide mouthcontainer) and a cap or spray head, as shown in FIGS. 98 and 99. Theadapter 2000 is provided with an outer threaded neck portion 2002 (e.g.28 millimeter) for connecting, for example, with a conventionaltrigger-type spray head. The adapter 2000 is also provided with an innerthreaded portion 2004 for connecting with an outer threaded neck portion(e.g. 38 millimeter) of a container 2006.

A cartridge 2008 is removably connected to the adapter 2000.Specifically, the cartridge 2008 connects (e.g. snap-fit, threadedcoupling, bayonet connection, etc.) with the adapter 2000. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 98, the cartridge 2008 is provided with anupper flange 2010, which removably press-fits or snap-fits with anannular inner edge 2012 provided on the inside of the adapter 2000.

The cartridge 2008 is similar to the cartridge 20′ shown in FIG. 1,however, the center through hole 2008 a is substantially enlarged toallow diluent such a water to be poured through the cartridge 2008during charging or recharging without removing the cartridge 2008 fromthe container 2006.

The arrangement shown in FIGS. 98 and 99 can be utilized with a standalone or separate bayonet, an internal bayonet (See FIG. 99) or a“reverse” type bayonet type arrangement (See FIGS. 62, 63, 66, 70, 72,81, 82, etc.).

In FIGS. 100 and 101, the adapter 2000′ is provided with a bayonetdevice 2014 defined by a washer 2016 having multiple through holes 2016a and a bayonet 2018 extending therefrom. The adapter 2000′ is configureso that the bayonet device 2014 “freely” rotates relative to the lowerportion 2004′. Specifically, a set of spokes 2020 formed in the mouth ofthe neck portion 2002′ provide a connection point for a plastic rivetrotatably connecting to the bayonet device 2014. This arrangement againallows a diluent such a water to be poured through the adapter 2000′ forcharging or recharging a container.

Reactive Chemistry

The multiple reservoir cartridge system according to the presentinvention can be utilized for making various multi-component mixtures orsolutions, which chemically react. For example, one reactive componentcan be store in one reservoir and another reactive component can bestored in another separate reservoir. These reservoirs can besimultaneously accessed to allow the contents to mix inside thecontainer. Alternatively, the substance in one reservoir can be reactivewith the substance being added to the container. In any event, numerousreactive chemistry application can be provided with the multiplereservoir cartridge system according to the present invention. Forexample, a surface cleaner and a bleach can be stored in separatereservoirs to make a fresh solution of a high performance and reactivecleaner (e.g. mildew cleaner). The two components of a two part coatingor paint can be stored in separate reservoirs of the same cartridge. Thetwo components of a two part adhesive can be stored in separatereservoirs of the same cartridge.

EXAMPLES

I. Cold Ice Tea Product. A cartridge of the type shown in FIG. 6A can beused for making a cold ice tea beverage. Specifically, a liquid ice teaconcentrate is stored in one (1) reservoir, a liquid or powder sugar isstored in two (2) reservoirs, and a liquid flavoring (e.g. lemon,raspberry, peach, etc.) is stored in one (1) reservoir. The cartridgecan be used in the dispenser shown in FIG. 93 or FIG. 96. The useraccesses only the one reservoir containing liquid ice tea concentrate tomake an unsweetened ice tea beverage. The user can also decide toselectively add one or two reservoirs of sweeter depending on taste, andoptionally selectively add the liquid flavoring again depending ontaste. Cold water and ice can be added to the dispenser to complete themixture by shaking.

II. Hot Coffee Product. A cartridge of the type shown in FIG. 6A can beused for making a cold ice tea beverage. Specifically, a liquid coffeeconcentrate is stored in one (1) reservoir, a liquid or powder sugar isstored in two (2) reservoirs, and a liquid nonrefrigerated creamer isstored in one (1) reservoir. The cartridge can be used in the dispensershown in FIG. 93 or FIG. 96. The user accesses only the one reservoircontaining liquid coffee concentrate to make an unsweetened coffeebeverage. The user can also decide to selectively add one or tworeservoirs of sweeter depending on taste, and optionally selectively addthe liquid creamer again depending on taste. Hot water can be added tothe dispenser to complete the mixture. The dispenser shown in FIG. 93can be insulated (e.g. Styrofoam liner) to maintain the coffee beveragehot and protect the user from burns.

III. Beverage Product. A one (1) reservoir cartridge containing asufficient quantity of Gatoraide or Kool-Aid powder mix to make aserving is loaded into the water bottle type container 1900 shown inFIG. 96. The cartridge is rotated one full turn to substantially openthe entire bottom of the cartridge dropping the powder into thecartridge receiver. Water is added to the cartridge receiver dissolvingthe powder mix while flowing into the container.

IV. Soft Drink Product. A cartridge of the type shown in FIG. 6A can beused for making a soft drink beverage. Specifically, a liquid Coke orPepsi concentrate is stored in one (1) reservoir, powdered carbonatingsubstance is stored in one (1) reservoir, and two (2) different liquidflavorings (e.g. cherry syrup, vanilla syrup, chocolate syrup, etc.) arestored in two (2) reservoirs. The cartridge can be used in the dispensershown in FIG. 93 or FIG. 96. The user accesses both the reservoirscontaining liquid Coke or Pepsi concentrate and the powdered carbonatingsubstance and optionally accesses one of the liquid flavorings make asoft drink beverage. The dispenser can be shook to mix the substancesand activate the powdered carbonating substance.

V. Mouthwash Product. A one (1) reservoir cartridge containing aconcentrated liquid mouthwash product is loaded into the neck portion ofa used empty conventional mouthwash bottle. The reservoir is compromisedwith a separate disposable finger held bayonet device packaged with thereservoir to release the contents into the mouthwash bottle. Water isadded from the tap to provide a full refill.

VI. Glass Cleaner Product. A four (4) chamber cartridge of the typeshown in FIG. 6A is filled with concentrated liquid glass cleaner. Thecartridge is inserted into the spray bottle dispenser of the type shownin FIGS. 26 and 27. A user selectively doses the spray bottle with one(1), two (2), three (3) or four (4) reservoirs of concentrate dependingon the strength needed for the particular job.

VII. Bathroom and Mildew Cleaning Product. A four (4) chamber cartridgeof the type shown in FIG. 6A is filled with two (2) reservoirs ofconcentrated liquid surface cleaner and two (2) chambers of concentratedliquid bleach. The cartridge is inserted into the spray bottle dispenserof the type shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. A user selectively doses the spraybottle with one (1) reservoir of concentrated liquid surface cleaner andone (1) reservoir of concentrated liquid bleach to form a reactivemixture. After full consumption of this mixture, a second batch ofreactive mixture can be made from the chemicals in the remaining two (2)reservoirs.

VIII. Automotive Glass Cleaner Product. A cartridge of the type shown inFIGS. 94 and 95 is provided with a concentrated dry packet of glasscleaner. The cartridge is configured to fit into the standardized fillspout on an automobile for refilling the window washer reservoir. Thecap of the fill spout is removed, the cartridge insert, and water from agarden hose is passed through the cartridge, which generates a liquidwindow washer solution within the window washer reservoir of theautomobile.

We claim:
 1. A rechargeable dispenser, comprising: a bottle portion; aresealable closure connected to said bottle portion, said resealableclosure configured to be opened to allow liquid contents to flowtherethrough and closed to seal said bottle portion, said resealableclosure being a push-pull closure; and a cartridge configured to bedisposed within said dispenser, said cartridge including at least onereservoir configured for containing and storing concentrate, saidreservoir being disposed within said dispenser and within said bottleportion of said dispenser.
 2. A dispenser according to claim 1, whereinsaid resealable closure is a push-pull closure.
 3. A dispenser accordingto claim 2, wherein said at least one reservoir is disposed within saidbottle portion.
 4. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein saidcartridge is removably disposed within said bottle portion so that itcan be removed when spent and replaced with another concentrate leadedcartridge.
 5. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said cartridgeis substantially permanently installed within said bottle portion toprevent its removal therefrom.
 6. A dispenser according to claim 1,wherein said cartridge is defined by an integral unit having at leastone chamber defining said reservoir.
 7. A dispenser according to claim6, wherein said chamber has an open top sealed by a membrane.
 8. Adispenser according to claim 7, wherein said cartridge is defined by acylinder divided up internally by at least one bisecting wall portion todefine a plurality of chambers having secant shaped cross sections.
 9. Adispenser according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge includes aplurality of separate reservoirs connected together.
 10. A dispenseraccording to claim 9, wherein said separate reservoirs have the samesize and shape configuration.
 11. A dispenser according to claim 9,wherein said separate reservoirs have a different size and shapeconfiguration.
 12. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said insertis connected at an upper portion thereof to said bottle portion, andsuspended inside said bottle portion.
 13. A dispenser according to claim1, wherein said at least one reservoir is associated with said closure.14. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said at least onereservoir is connected to said closure.
 15. A dispenser according toclaim 1, wherein said cartridge is associated with said closure.
 16. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge is connected to saidclosure.
 17. A device according to claim 16, wherein said cartridge is aseparate unit and connected to said closure.
 18. A device according toclaim 17, wherein said cartridge is removably connected to said closure.19. A dispenser according to claim 1, including an opening device foropening said reservoir.
 20. A dispenser according to claim 19, whereinsaid opening device is a bayonet device.
 21. A dispenser according toclaim 20, wherein said bayonet device is connected to said closure. 22.A dispenser according to claim 21, wherein said bayonet device isrotatably connected to said closure.
 23. A dispenser according to claim20, wherein said bayonet is positioned off center relative to saidclosure.
 24. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge isconfigured to allow the fluid contents to flow from said bottle portionto said closure.
 25. A dispenser according to claim 24, wherein saidcartridge is provided with a liquid passageway extending therethrough.26. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge is providedwith a plurality of separate chambers, said cartridge configured to beselectively opened.
 27. A dispenser according to claim 26, including anopening device for selectively opening said plurality of separatechambers of said cartridge.
 28. A dispenser according to claim 1,including product concentrate contained within said reservoir.
 29. Adispenser according to claim 26, including at least one type of productconcentrate contained within said plurality of separate chambers.
 30. Adispenser according to claim 29, including different types of productconcentrate contained within said plurality of separate chambers.
 31. Adispenser according to claim 30, including reactive components ofproduct concentrate contained within said plurality of separate chambersto be mixed together to form a reactive mixture within the dispenser.32. A rechargeable dispenser, comprising: a bottle; a resealable closureconnected to said bottle portion, said resealable closure configured tobe selectively opened to allow liquid contents to flow therethrough andselectively closed to seal said bottle portion; and a cartridgeconfigured to be disposed within the dispenser, said cartridge includingmultiple chambers configured to store multiple dosages of productconcentrate and configured to be selectively opened.